Eternity
by cristofori's dream
Summary: It was inevitable to be banned from Konoha, for the seal to break, for the truth to be learned. It was even inevitable for him to change. But he didn't expect Sasuke to enter his life again, and for the feelings he desperately hid to resurface. Rated.
1. Prologue

**Full Summary:**

**Naruto: **It was inevitable to be banned from Konoha, for the seal to break, for the truth and secrets to be learned, for him to hide. He had anticipated it all. It was even inevitable for him to change, what with all the knowledge and power he had come to possess. With a lot of things going on, he knew he shouldn't be around people, shouldn't be seen, and most of all, shouldn't be distracted. But he really didn't expect Sasuke to enter his life again, and for the feelings he desperately hid to resurface. Now with the bastard avenger around him, his secrets were threatened to be revealed. And one of those secrets just happened to be his undying attraction that started way, way before.

**Sasuke: **Sasuke loathes things he doesn't understand with a passion. So when he came across that Dobe after all those years, and a group of butterflies attacked his inner gut with violent flaps of their wings, he saw red. After all, everything he labels as unknown, he deals with anger. That was, until Naruto collapsed in his arms, shaking with tremors. He blamed it all to curiosity, after all, why would he hang around other than to know exactly what was going on? Unfortunately or fortunately for him, he discovered more. It just so happened that along with those discoveries, he also discovered what those bubbles in his stomach are.

**Warning:**

Sasuke x Naruto relationship

Multiple pairings. OOC & OCs

Mature content for later chapters. Possible Yaoi.

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue:<strong>

"Uzumaki Naruto, due to traces of the seal deteriorating, you are hereby banned from Konoha under the unanimous decision of Konoha Council. You are to gather your valuables and leave tomorrow morning without giving away of the Council's decision to any of your acquaintances." A cold and weary voice of an old female sliced throughout the silence of the meeting room followed by a loud sound of pounding gavel.

Naruto held his head low, feeling nothing. He supposed he always knew it, that one day, he would have to leave the village that he and his family protected – the village that his mom and dad and even that pervy old man Jiraiya died to protect. He guessed that _'one day'_ was today.

From a distance, he could hear arguments. He could hear it as if he was inside his mind where the darkness reigned much like where Kyuubi was confined, peering to the outside world from a huge and wide window. That sharp tongue and strong voice, he knew that well, it was Tsunade. She must be fighting the Council to keep him here. Warmth swelled inside him though just for a second. He supposed he should feel grateful for Tsunade for trying to stall and hopefully reverse the inevitable.

_Smile._ _Smile and tell her it's okay._

He told himself that he should smile at a time like this. He should smile to Tsunade to make her feel alright and lessen the helplessness that she was sure to be feeling. But no matter how many times he told himself to do it, his own voice ordering him to smile sounded so weak and as if coming from a distance.

The muscles in his face felt so heavy and frozen to the spot, he couldn't move it. Silly, really. He just had to move his face muscle a little and a smile would break out – like what he had been doing all his life. But why did it feel like a lead now? He couldn't even look up to see the faces of his condemner nor see how hard Baa-chan was fighting for him.

He should have been nervous. Why not, when he didn't have anywhere else to go? He didn't even know what he was supposed to do from now on. Strangely though, he felt eerily calm. He wasn't panicking inside, or maybe he was just so tired.

Somehow, he found the strength to finally look up. Tsunade was standing now, spitting lightly as she roared. Her face crumpled in a dangerous frown, her eyes glaring. Naruto wanted to smile, he really did, but failed to do so. They were still arguing, Tsunade countering every card the Council turned.

But he was tired of this.

He took a mouthful of air and decided to stop all of this nonsense now.

"Tsunade."

Naruto was surprised his voice didn't waver. He was even more surprised when in that instant, silence reigned over like a splash of cold water. Blue eyes found Tsunade's honey brown, and hopefully, the tenseness of muscle he felt on his face was indication of a small smile. "It's enough."

She looked shocked and broken, he noted, but couldn't find it in him to really care. His mouth muttered an automatic apology, empty and cold. Through the years, it had become a reflex when he made someone upset. Times it was heartfelt, other times it was just a word.

He could feel his feet starting to carry him out of that place.

"Wait! Naruto! You don't have to go! Just wait a bit and I'll clear things up. Please!" Tsunade sounded so desperate that Naruto stopped and turned to look at her. Truthfully, Tsunade was a very proud lady. Hearing her plead so sincerely was something to be shaken about. They always argued over such little things, but at times like this, Tsunade never failed to make him feel he was cared for. And he will always be forever grateful.

Finally, he found the strength and courage to honestly smile at her, albeit small. "Don't worry. It's fine now." And off he went again. As he walked out, he could hear Tsunade calling out his name. Voices grew faint as he walked a little more distance until finally, he couldn't hear them anymore.

…

Naruto found himself sitting on top of the Hokage Mountain, particularly at the head of his father. This place used to be his sanctuary whenever something big happened around him. He would hide here as a kid when the villagers hunted him down. How long had it been since he stopped coming here? Busy missions didn't leave him enough time to go and whine about to his dad. Most of the villagers also had accepted him as he was. So really, he didn't have to come and hide here before now.

"Hey dad. It's been a long time since I last went here, isn't it?" As usual, silence answered his whines. It was times like this that he couldn't help but wish that his dad was still alive, or that he could at least talk to him again with that seal like before. Anything, just so he could talk to him again. And his mom, what would he give just to hear his mom's _I love you _again.

"Sorry dad. Looks like I won't be able to protect the village anymore," he laughed. "You see, the Council doesn't want me here any longer and is kicking me out. They said the seal is beginning to deteriorate. I have become a big threat to them now. I have to get out of here to avoid endangering everyone. You don't have to worry though, dad. 'Cause I understand. I'm your son after all! Isn't going sort of like protecting them in a different way?"

A soft sigh escaped his lips. Somehow, he didn't feel right about what he said at all. He should be feeling good knowing that he'd be able to still protect the village by being far off. But a small hole made its way to his chest just like that. An empty space. How long had it been since he last felt like this? He had been aware of such emptiness inside of him since he was young, but lately, there were people out there who taught him how to feel different emotions. Now it had come back with full force.

Seems like it wasn't that long when he would declare that he'd be Hokage and people would acknowledge him. At least he accomplished half of his dream. "I guess I won't be able to be Hokage now. Don't be disappointed in me, okay, dad? Well, wherever I might end up, I hope you'd still watch over me."

After gathering his stuff and sealing it in a scroll, Naruto started to head out. Even if the Council told him to leave by morning, he couldn't have it in him to actually wait patiently for the time. That would feel like waiting dreadfully for the sickle hanging above his head to actually pass through his neck.

On his way, he passed by Sakura's house. He wondered what the girl would do once she finds out that he was gone. He knew she didn't like him at first, but she opened up gradually. She wouldn't say that she was his best friend because only one person can be the best of friends and he already had one. Maybe she was her closest friend, that one that came next to the best friend. Well, he supposed she'd be upset when she finds out. The council might even tell a very believable lie to his friends so no one would try to find him.

No one would be there for him anymore.

_Heh. Just like old times._

He looked up to see the dark window of Sakura's room. The Council was being mean to him, not being able to say goodbye to his friends. Did they want them to hate him before they announce that he's dead? Or would they tell them that he had betrayed them all and so they had to kill him? Either way, they really made it sure that no one would be able to be by his side.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he whispered, silently hoping the wind would find its way to bring his words to Sakura's ear though he knew it was impossible. He couldn't even have the luxury of _hoping_ that he could one day explain to Sakura what had really happened this night. After all, he wouldn't be coming back here anymore; and the chances of them meeting outside the village were pretty close to none. He had to stay hidden from everyone, not taking the chance to endanger someone when his seal finally lets up or be caught by the enemies and use him.

He put a move on his feet, all the while thinking where to go from now on. He had quite a savings from all of his missions. And his mom and dad had left him quite a lot, though no one knew except for Sandaime-jiji, and he kept them to safety. When one was constantly travelling with a perverted sage, one would have to learn how to hide his money. Especially if he didn't want to put it in use for perverted ways. Besides, he couldn't even spend it anyway that time since no one was willing to sell him anything.

During his missions outside Konoha, he had encountered a lot of people. Maybe he'd visit one of them and ask for help first, though that idea was dismissed as quickly as it came. Right. He was supposed to disappear. Meeting with people he once knew would mean they'd be put into danger - literally (with Kyuubi) and politically (with Konoha). Really, his existence alone was a threat to people.

A glint from a distance caught his eye. It was the reflection of the moon from the river. If he wasn't that much of an empty shell that moment, he might have laughed from the irony of life. Right then, he felt like someone from up there was taunting him while having a good laugh. Who would have thought, from so many places his feet would carry him, he ended up at the bridge where the Team Seven used to meet. The same bridge where he saw the small Sasuke brooding alone when he was seven.

"_I'd bring you back home, Sasuke," _was what he used to say over and over.

How would he do that now that even he couldn't go back to Konoha? Once he and Sasuke meet again outside of the gate walls, he wondered if Sasuke would laugh at the pathetic state he had become. Knowing him, that bastard would surely laugh at his face and preach that nothing good came out from his self-righteousness. Then, Naruto wouldn't have anything to counter Sasuke, because by then, he wouldn't have the right to lecture Sasuke anymore.

Right now, he didn't even have the right to even think of bringing Sasuke home. Because, really, how would he do that when he just lost his home?

But he understood. Of course he understood. He's Uzumaki Naruto, he was supposed to understand, he was supposed to protect the people of Konoha. And by leaving, he would put the village out of the danger named Kyuubi. He's the son of the Fourth Hokage and he was supposed to follow his steps, even if him being the son of the Yondaime was a secret.

The Council expected him to up and go once they had decided. They expected him to quietly suck everything up and obediently obey their words because he's a ninja, and the village comes first.

So, he did just that. He started walking out of Konoha, out of everyone's life. With a final glance at the Konoha Gates, he wondered why he was feeling so lost and empty when he was doing the right thing to do. Shouldn't he be determined to follow orders like before? So then, why, when he was doing what was best for all of them, did he feel so cheated and abandoned?

No answer found its way to him, and he didn't expect anyone to give him what he wanted. How could anyone tell him why he was feeling this way when he didn't have anyone anymore? But then, out of nowhere, he heard his answer from the most unexpected source.

**"Because you don't want to follow orders. You just want a home."**

He instantly agreed with a single track of wetness running down his cheek.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

"Have you heard? Have you heard?" Voices of young females passing by outside the shop he had been frequenting stood out from the noise of the market street. Gossips about a beautiful young man had erupted through the air, making young women like them excited and harbor a different kind of hope. Seeing the fire flash through their eyes and hearing the girlie giggles, Naruto couldn't help but smile.

The busy streets of a small village in the Land of Fangs were something that made him feel the life of normalcy. It wasn't anything grand like Konoha. Just a small gathering of homes and a small market. No huge walls surrounded the town and no closed gates, it was perfectly open to anyone travelling. Though it wasn't anything remotely close to the village he once called home, he still liked the feeling he got whenever he was here.

A quiet poof beside him caught him out of reverie. "Yo, Naruto!"

"Yo! Gamakichi." Huge grin broke out on his face when he turned to the orange toad. Normally, people would have freaked out of a sudden appearance of a toad, especially a toad much bigger than Naruto's own size. However, after inconveniently being the center of attention of so many people back in the first village they went mere weeks of his rogue life, and thus giving them no choice but to leave in fear of being found by people they know, Gamakichi had helped him out a lot by shrinking down his normal huge size. Now and every time Gamakichi was not summoned for a fight, he would appear in his shrunken form.

So much had happened the past year since he went out of Konoha. Discoveries were made, drastic changes occurred but his life still moved on and so had everybody else's. After two months of his departure, he wrote the very first letter he sent to Tsunade through Gamakichi. He wrote about the new things in his life, what he learned, secrets he uncovered. She was his confidant. But she never told her where he was. And though the council had abandoned him, Tsunade remained loyal to him. Secretly, she would reply to his letters, telling him of news about Konoha, his friends, and the recent activities of whether he's in danger or not.

Naruto watched feigning horror as Gamakichi grabbed the bowl of ramen he was eating. "That's mine, you stupid frog!"

"I'm a toad, baka! How long has it been since you started the contract and you still mistake us as frogs? I can't believe you're Minato's son. No, let me rephrase that. I can't believe how stupid you actually are." The toad said it smoothly and proceeded to slurp in the forgotten ramen.

Long suffering sigh escaped Naruto's lips and he leaned on his hands perched on the table. "And? What happened?"

"Oh, here." Gamakichi gave him the parchment attached to his back. "Tsunade looked like she's been worked to death. Her henge isn't working that effectively anymore. I accidentally caught her resting with that old look of hers, and it seriously crept me off. But I suppose humans really just age faster than us."

Naruto grabbed the letter to read, all the while thinking about what Gamakichi just said. It was true that Tsunade was getting old. She was now, what, fifty five? Fifty six? It wouldn't be long when she would need a replacement. Considering her situation, he really wondered why the old hag wouldn't retire.

_I mean, it's high time she finds a suitable candidate._

"You know, she's been working on getting you back to Konoha." Naruto smiled upon hearing the words Gamakichi said. "She said no one is good enough to be Hokage, aside from you that is. And it ain't good if it's not you. The hag and the council have been arguing ever since you left. Those creepy old council says you're not fit to be Hokage since you're a possible danger. Tsunade says otherwise and that it goes, of course, without saying."

The blonde could clearly imagine Tsunade as she said those things. Both hands on her hips, a scowl on her pretty face, and a roaring voice as she complained. Or maybe she was too tired now to even do that, if the broken henge was any indication. Thinking how close he really was to losing another one of his loved one, Naruto couldn't help but feel a tightness in his chest. Would he live forever like this, waiting for the news that another comrade had fallen?

Could he handle that?

"Anyhow, you know I can't be Hokage now even if she really manages to help me come back."

Gamakichi had to strain his ear just to hear the silent murmur from Naruto. He looked up to his summoner who was actually reading the letter. _That's right_, he thought. So much had happened. Things that were considered impossible actually happened, things that normal people couldn't possibly comprehend. He understood Naruto of course, because he had lived long enough in human years and it made him wise to some extent.

If he heard of something remotely as close to where Naruto stands now last year, he'd say it was impossible and laugh at the stupidity. He would even go to the extremes of giving Gamatatsu all of the snacks he would encounter for all of his life just to prove his point. But now, as he looked at Naruto, he could just zip his mouth and swallow his pride in acceptance of what the summoner had become.

Boisterous laughter shook the entire shop and the toad almost dropped the bowl of ramen. "Oh, man!" Naruto exclaimed, a different kind of gleam shining in his eyes. "I can't believe it! Sakura started dating! And who would be the lucky guy other than Sai? Talk about surprise of the year! I knew it. I just knew it! She was always reprimanding him about his rudeness and Sai had always teased her. It was always meant to happen, I mean, it was just a matter of time! Heh."

"Eh, I knew it. You were just acting all those times you were lovesick of her."

"Maa, it was funny."

Gamakichi gave his summoner a long skeptical look. Of course he knew the boy was acting before. Who would really be that stupid as to pine for a girl who clearly had no interest in you and finds amusement in violence with you? Although he always said Naruto was stupid to the point of no return, he knew he was just acting. He was not as stupid as everybody thought of him. He was stronger, a lot stronger, than those pathetic humans could ever think of him capable of.

"So, why are you here again? As I recall correctly, your lodging is far from here, inside the forest."

Naruto glanced at the toad, momentarily stopping from reading the letter Tsunade had for him. "Oh, come on! I have enough of the lectures back home. Don't be a sourpuss and be my ally for once."

"Aha. You sneaked out again, huh. Without saying anything to your guardian. No wonder he's so damn prissy all the time. Do him a favor and stop adding wrinkles to his already existing ones."

"You shouldn't tease Oryu that much." A low husky voice came from behind Naruto, to whom the blonde boy feigned surprise and dread. "There you are. You're getting good at hiding yourself from us, huh? Naruto."

Naruto slowly turned to see a mass of curly black hair and a glaring sharp silvery blue eyes. He laughed nervously. "Hello, Sho."

If there was a word Naruto could use just to describe Sho, that would be 'boredness'. He had droopy eyes, much like Shikamaru's but much sharper. He also stood a few centimeters taller than Naruto, and that was saying a lot since he tended to slouch like Kakashi. He also appeared to be around the same age as Naruto, if not a bit older. "Seems like you're the center of the gossip today. Again."

The blonde mentally snickered at the obvious horror in Sho's face. Though Sho was the same as Sasuke in terms of popularity, and the same in despising every inch of it, Sho still showed emotions. Sho was pretty much a detached guy, but he showed no contempt in showing what he really felt. Unlike Sasuke who completely abhorred having to show emotions, saying it was a sign of weakness.

"Don't _'hello, Sho'_ me. And don't remind me about those horrible banshees." Sho stepped forward, violently poking Naruto on his forehead. "You have quite a lot or nerve sneaking out on us, brat. You must be very brave being by yourself now, huh. Is that it? Huh?"

Gamakichi watched as Naruto tried to console Sho from his recent escape. He wondered why Naruto even bothered to have that stupid front act when everybody knows that he wasn't really what it seemed. Even Sho, for sure, knew that the blonde summoner was just trying to appease him. Was it that funny to act stupid?

Before he knew it, a mass of white blur passed his vision and easily glomped the blonde boy. "Naruto! You stupid fox, we were looking everywhere for you!"

"Keisuke! Gomen, gomen. You know me, I was just lazing about. Anyway, you guys know I'd always be here. Why didn't you check up here a little earlier? Not that I'm complaining." A very pretty boy with silver hair barely touching his shoulders (which was really quite long behind but tied up) and golden eyes with a small feminine stature pouted at him. He looked like a girl with his soft touches, deceiving every eye. He was also a head shorter than Naruto, though his age was about the same as Sho.

Keisuke then sat on his lap with no remorse, not thinking what the others might say when they see them in an awkward position, because, well, as far as the kid knew he was not doing anything out of the ordinary. "Baka! You think we haven't looked here? We checked this out first almost four hours ago but you weren't here. Good thing Gamakichi popped to you. We instantly went here the moment we felt his chakra."

Naruto glanced at Gamakichi at the corner of his eyes. _'So you're the one who gave away my position' _clearly written across whiskered face.

"Hey! Don't blame me when you're the one playing around."

The blonde sighed. _Well, what's done is done_. He turned back his attention to Sho, who was now sitting across him. "The others?"

"Yukari and Oryu, as always, are left to the house. Feng is out there somewhere, shopping." Sho's face was back to his usual blank stare.

"Or man-hunting!" Keisuke chimed in.

Naruto snickered upon hearing the word 'man-hunting'. Feng had always been like that. Her appearance said as much as what she was inside. Feiry red hair, sultry eyes, Yukata that was loose by the shoulders, huge b… better not divulge there. There were times when Naruto would see her all sparkly, and him with his enhanced senses would smell a faint trace of a man on her.

He was pretty appalled first, it was like Jiraiya had risen from the dead to continue his perverted journey, though this time much successfully. Nevertheless, time had been on his side, and he pretty much got used to Feng's ways. Though he would still reprimand her any time he could. Especially those times that she would make a pass at him.

Kei suddenly let out a cry of pain, followed by a feminine voice asking _'Who's man-hunting_?' Naruto looked up to see Feng, and caught a whiff of the familiar smell of a man on her.

Gamakichi looked up from his ramen in time just to see Naruto send an icy smile to Feng. Who would have thought that Naruto was capable of this kind of smile? It never even occurred to him that the stupidly naïve brat could send deathly glares or icy smiles. "Feng," his master's voice was dripping in coldness all the while smiling. "Where have you been?"

The woman stood before him, averting her eyes and sweating coldly. She laughed her noble laugh that sounded horribly like _'Hohoho!'_ which never failed to make Gamakichi wince. Feng looked like a legal adult hanging around a bunch of brats. "Naruto, dear, it wouldn't do you any good to pry on… adult's business."

The smile cracked and gave way to a frown. "Save it you old perverted hag! I could smell you from a distance! I swear you'd put Jiraiya to shame!" Naruto made his voice extra edgy just to rile the older woman. He was satisfied after he saw her flinch, and he sighed before dropping the issue. "Never mind. Have you gotten our supplies?"

Feng instantly glowed when Naruto let her slip off his radar. She held out her hand to show a roll of sealed parchment where their newly bought goods were kept. "Of course! The man on the counter even gave them for free!" Naruto blanched. Whenever it was Feng's turn to go shopping for their daily supplies, they would always have more goods than planned and they even get to keep their money.

"Naruto?" Kei, who had been quiet through the exchange finally interrupted.

"Yes, Keisuke?" He tightened his arms around Keisuke.

Kei looked at him with big round golden eyes full of wonder. "Why do you call Feng 'old hag'? Aren't you much older?"

That wasn't something he was expecting to hear. "Excuse me? I'm not old!" He was just seventeen, damnit!

"Huh? Aren't you like, a thousand years old?"

"Hey! That's not me! It's the stupid old fox!"

"Same thing." Naruto heard Sho murmur under his breath.

"Hey, I heard that. Damnit! I'm just seventeen!" Sometimes, it was hard to explain to Keisuke his situation. Kei normally had a pretty simple mind that simplify things as he wanted it, but his perceptiveness usually surprises all of them in unexpected times. Especially when it came to Sho.

Gamakichi couldn't help but smile every time he sees their conversation. It was good that Naruto found another place where he belonged. The first times the blonde was banned from Konoha, he got the lifeless empty eyes even with a smile. He and his brother Gamatatsu were summoned then to keep him company, and they saw how the blonde struggled to keep himself alive. The both of them told Naruto to ask for help from old acquaintances, but he stubbornly refused, saying it was far too great of a risk. It was a real shock when he learnt that Naruto was receiving guidance from an impossible source – the Kyuubi.

"Meh, I should go now. See you soon." He promptly interrupted the group and then disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"So," Naruto turned back to his friends. "Shall we head back?"

…

The house which Sho built for them six was located in the midst of a forest near a lake. It was of great distance from the small town, but they could reach it in about thirty minutes by foot if they step on it. And though the danger wasn't as prominent as before, visiting a place with hoards of people still wasn't wise in case of 'glitches', as what Naruto would like to call his episodes. But those episodes had drastically decreased since it started.

Keisuke and Feng were busy arguing all throughout their travel back home over small and trivial things. Sho would even snide in a comment here and there just to rile the two arguing more. Then Naruto would laugh, occasionally siding with Keisuke and fighting Feng even if he knew he was on the losing side just for the amusement.

"I wonder what Yukari would prepare for dinner." Keisuke wondered to himself, making Naruto's never ending stomach pit start to rumble even if he just had his ramen – his afternoon snack. To his defense though, he just had two bowls of it before Gamakichi arrived and snatched his bowl.

"Ara~ Chibi-chan better not eat that much or you wouldn't be able to get a nice love prospect," Feng teased their childish member.

"Eh… I don't want a _'love prospect'_. They would just leave me." Naruto tensed, hearing such a serious matter roll out easily from Keisuke's tongue. Kei said it like it wasn't much of a deal, but everyone knew how heavy it was for him. They knew, of course, because they were the same. For someone like them, a love prospect was impossible. That was why Feng jumps from man to man, never settling down in the first place. "I just want to eat and stuff myself for all eternity."

Sho snorted. "It's still early for dinner, you stupid pig." Just like that, the growing tension dissolved and Kei reverted back to his normal state. Naruto was secretly thankful for Sho's tactlessness because it would cheer Keisuke up in the most unpredictable times. Or maybe it was said on purpose?

Kei grumbled, not taking positively what their snobby and stoic friend just said. Obscenities were exchanged, curses flew in the air, and in the midst of it all, Naruto made a sudden halt, alerting his friends.

"What is it?" Feng asked seriously, no traces of her usual sultry eyes on her face. Sho grabbed the katana fastened behind him, senses scanning his surroundings. Keisuke stepped closer to Naruto, ready to catch the blonde in case it was one of those 'glitches'.

Tension hung thickly in the air, everyone waiting for anything that Naruto would say. Silence ensued, but before another second ticked, Naruto bolted into a mad dash they could barely catch up to him.

Naruto could hear his friends calling him in a distance, but his attention was solely on the presence waiting ahead of them. More specifically, inside their house. When he smelled that familiar scent, he vaguely wondered whom it belonged. It certainly didn't belong to any of his close friends, but he was so sure he had an encounter with it before. He just didn't know exactly where.

The moment he recognized that scent though, he immediately broke into a run. Ray of hope swelled in his chest, something he shouldn't really welcome but still managed to crawl under his skin. He never bothered to knock or announce his presence once he reached their front door. He must have shocked his two other friends, Yukari and Oryu, who were waiting for him at the house, but he just could not care to apologize. His eyes instantly fell on the white-bluish-haired third person sitting on the floor with a chakra rope and a seal to prevent him from liquefying and escaping.

Azure eyes narrowed to their captive, and a name involuntarily escaped his lips. "Suigetsu."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

"I saw him loitering around the area." Yukari's soft voice didn't seem to cut through the heavy tension hanging around the room. If something, it even contributed a sense of iciness. The girl wasn't like any other girl. With darker than black straight long hair, sharp crimson eyes, pale complexion and expressionless face, everyone would clearly have a hard time approaching her. She was not hard to talk to though, once one tried to talk to her. In fact, she would talk to anyone, and talk she does in an eerily polite manner. In her embrace lies a lifeless doll with stitches here and there.

Everyone was gathered around the low table of their living room, Naruto sitting across Suigetsu while sipping his tea. Even Kei's usual playfulness was absent, he was seriously listening to the conversation and seriously thinking things through. Of course Kei knew the consequence of that liquid guy being here. Sooner or later, Sasuke and his team would come looking for him. Especially since they didn't even bother to put a barrier around the area. If things continued on, the two best friends would finally see each other. He was just not sure whether it was a good idea.

Naruto sighed, finally managing to calm himself down. "Well," every eyes looked at him. "What should I do with you, Suigetsu? Should I let you go back to your team or should I just silence you here and now?"

The man sitting beside Naruto perked up. "Why is there a need to silence him up?" He had long blonde hair that reached up to his hips, a golden band held his hair together at the base, right behind his waist. His face was framed with long parted bangs. Regardless of his beautiful face, silver eyes, lean figure, and femininity though, he still was the 'man' of the house - a disciplinarian, strict with his rules, properly punishes the 'kids'. The almost permanent crease in his forehead and the shining oval spectacles just seem to suit him well with his stern personality.

Naruto turned to the man with a sheepish smile. "Well, Oryu, I received a news earlier today. Seems like I was announced dead four months ago. So, I shouldn't let anyone know that, unfortunately, I still am."

"Those bastards…" A hiss came from Sho who was leaning against the wall behind Naruto. However, he was not the only one emitting a murderous aura.

Naruto laughed nervously. "Maa, maa. We knew this would happen sooner or later."

Feng slammed her palms none too gently against the table, seriously pissed with the how the things were going. "That still doesn't give them the right to do what they've been doing. Those old farts seriously piss me off! I wanna rid themselves their stinky, useless little heads off."

"No," Yukari softly cut through as she continued to stare at her doll. "I think it's better to burn them and then slowly skin them alive. Without anesthetics of course. Imagine the screams…"

Their red-head instantly agrees, though not particularly fond of the morbidness of the little kid, the wrinkling old farts deserved it. "Not a bad idea. Heh! Pathetic humans."

"Feng. Yukari." Oryu's warning stopped the two girls' morbid ramblings before they could give out more information in their captive's presence. "Anyway, it's better to decide now what to do."

"Kill him."

Heavy silence erupted when Sho not so subtly recommended. Everyone looked at the quiet snob, eyebrows raised, before ignoring him completely as if nothing happened. "Leave him hanging on a tree where people could see him perfectly. Without any clothes to boot!" Keisuke chimed in excitedly, thinking what a laugh it would be.

"Maybe you should seal him on the lake. He has a body of water, no? He'd never be able to leave there again."

"Or we could turn him to mud and slowly corrupt his essence. That would slowly and painfully kill him."

"_My _idea is better! It's funny!" Keisuke stood up.

"That's childish, not funny. Besides, think of the poor people who would unfortunately have to look at him! Ooohh~ The terror for the ladies!"

"Just simply kill him."

Oryu, the ever strict old man of the group quietly listened, eyes having a dangerous tick. All the while, Naruto just laughed nervously of the intensity his mates' thoughts. "You guys, really… I was just thinking of erasing his memory."

"…"

"…that's so dull…" Keisuke commented, a cute pout gracing his face.

"Oi, oi, oi!" A foreign voice interrupted the group's meeting. The seventh presence they almost forgot about. "Ya'll talk like I'm not here! D'fuck? Kill me? D'ya seriously thought ya coulda kill me? Hah! Don' make me laugh!"

Yukari slowly turned her head to look at that pathetic body of water. If there was anything she simply loathed, that would be people who thought so superiorly of themselves when in fact they couldn't even do anything worth mentioning about. A good example of that was this… _creature. _The pathetic _being_ didn't even know who he was talking to. She held her hand up, index finger pointing to that noisy creature.

His eyes watched her every move, daring her to go on and hurt him. A flick of her finger and an arm exploded. Suigetsu cried out in pain, his arm nothing but a useless hanging limp now, mixture of water and blood dripping. He didn't know what happened, he wasn't supposed to feel pain. His body was made of water, damnit! "Aargh! Fuck off! Bitch!" No regeneration occurred no matter how much he willed it. He couldn't even curl his body to ease the pain.

Another tick in Yukari's eye, a flick of a finger, and another explosion erupted. The poor guy's remaining arm ceased existence. Pained cries and screams echoed throughout the cabin. Rare smile bloomed on the stoic girl's face. Strangely enough, she gets satisfied when undeserving people learns their place through torture.

Suigetsu felt like forever had passed during the ordeal he was put through, and just when he was starting to wonder when the pain was going to stop, a voice boomed through his screams. "Enough. Yukari, would you please kindly reverse it? I would have done it myself but I want you to, since you're the one who did this in the first place." Suigetsu did not know what it meant, just that the pain intensified a hundred times worse and like a click of a switch, the searing pain stopped.

He gasped and gasped for air, taking whatever he could just to feel alive. When he had calmed a bit, he noticed that all of his strength seems to have been sucked out of him. His head hung low, heart finally slowing down. That was when realization struck him hard. Blood and water stained his clothes, but he still had both of his hands. Sure, slight spasms still shook his arms. Light tinge of pain still there, but it was so faint it almost felt like a soft electric current coursing underneath his veins.

He blinked his tear-filled eyes in confusion.

_What d'ell just happ'nd? Was it genjutsu? But there're so much blood…_

"I'm sorry for my friend's behavior." One of them, the voice he recognized as the one who stopped the torture he was under finally decided to pull him back to reality. He looked at the blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes, thinking how awfully familiar those are. "Well, I suggest you keep your opinion in yourself from hereon especially if you would just spew off insults. They don't take it kindly."

Suigetsu sent a nasty glare at him. "What d'hell did you jus' do?" Much to his annoyance, the blond idiot just smiled at him before talking to that freak girl again like nothing happened.

"How long has he been here?"

It was Oryu who answered, "Not long before you sneaked out. That would be a little over four hours ago."

Naruto snickered, seeing the purposeful sideways glare Oryu sent him - still sore about his escapade. "Four hours, huh? It's late to do anything to him now. They're already here." Every person inside the room became instantly alert when he said that, readying themselves for battle. He smiled at them. "Hey, hey. There's no need for that you know. Hide away those weapons. It's just Sasuke anyway."

"Naruto!" Sho cried, honestly against the idea of _'just Sasuke'_. "If you don't remember, he tried to kill you several times now!"

"I remember just fine Sho. But he's still my best friend. So, if you'd all be so kind, please put those away." Reluctantly, weapons were put away. Suigetsu's eyes widened when some of them literally vanished to thin air. Speaking of which, some of those weapons weren't there when they first arrived. He 'tsked'. Mysteries keep piling one after another, and he wasn't fond of being kept in the dark.

Oryu sighed. Really, how many times had he sighed for today? It didn't matter anyway. No matter how much he kept track of his sighs, Naruto wouldn't just up and change his ways. Especially when it comes to a certain missing-nin. "I'd prepare tea for the newcomers. Come on Yukari, prepare the dinner before these two brats whine for being hungry."

"Huh?" Keisuke tilted his head to the side cutely. "I was wondering why it was so quiet. Where's Shiro?"

Scurrying just outside the cabin's door caught everyone's attention. Without any warning, the door burst open and gave way to a tall, pale, dark-haired man. Onyx eyes narrowed dangerously to the captive sitting on the floor before widening a bit when his eyes landed on the spiky blonde haired - much longer than before but still familiar - boy calmly sipping tea. His gaze fixed on said blond, obviously assessing the situation before him, though his face remained impassive.

"Ah! Shiro! There you are!"

…

A kid with white hair ran up to Sasuke, fortunately breaking his unwanted staring. Said kid crouched down beside him, and he watched in caution as he picked up the small white fox they encountered in the forest. 'Shiro' as what the kid called him yelped at its owner, wagging its tail back and forth. Everyone knew he wasn't the type of person to find entertainment in such… _heart warming_ situations, and he really wasn't. He just needed to find a thing to avert his eyes to and the energetic fox just so happened to create most movements.

The kid ran back to the table, right beside the person he wasn't looking forward to see. Sasuke grabbed the chance to look back at his captured teammate. Suigetsu was sitting cross-legged on the floor, tied by what he presumed a chakra rope, a seal stuck on his chest, sweating badly and slightly panting. Something must have happened, something that rattled him terribly to the point of breaking the mask of arrogance.

He gave every person a once over, calculating each of their strengths. They were a bunch of brats, aside from two adults. From the outsider's point of view, it looked like they were playing house. In Sasuke's eyes, nobody was terrifying enough to scare Suigetsu. He couldn't find the answers he wanted just by mere appearance though, so he looked at the blond, who in turn looked back at him.

Sasuke never wanted things he didn't understand. So when that familiar cerulean blue eyes looked back directly at him and caused a bubble in his stomach he couldn't hope to classify, his irritation level almost rose up to danger. The tension between them seemed to last a lifetime, as if Naruto was irking him on purpose to see whether the pointer of his gauge would recede to safe zone or would proceed to the red area. However, when Naruto smiled, Sasuke found all of the negative feelings flying out the window.

"Hello, Sasuke." Naruto's voice was soft. The familiar brisk was still there, but it was much mellowed now and he appeared to be much calmer. Sasuke felt like looking at a stranger.

…

Sasuke watched Naruto from a huge boulder he was sitting as the blonde walked silently on the lake surface. The sun had set for quite some time now, and the moon was perfectly reflected against the water. It was only the two of them. He left Karin and Juugo back at the cabin to look out for Suigetsu. Losing his tools now wouldn't do any good for his quest. Besides, he was wondering why this Naruto looked so much different from before.

His blue eyes still twinkled with innocence, but he also could not deny they now hold a certain wisdom – as if Naruto had seen and learnt things much too advanced for him – his movements were much smoother, and dare he say it, graceful. No matter how much Naruto tried to hide it by swinging his arms unnecessarily, Sasuke could see through it all. The Naruto he knew was still there, that much he knew. But he had also matured. He was out of the hideous orange jumper. Instead, a black sleeveless zip up utility vest covered his body and black trousers below. Black finger-less gloves adorned his hands. White hooded cloak embraced his shoulders, it might have made him look smaller but it certainly added a hue of change.

"You should really go back to Konoha." There he went again. He heard that familiar preach so many times now that he had almost memorized the tone Naruto used every time he said that. The very idea of living back there put a smirk on his face.

"Tell me, Naruto. Why should I go back to the village that killed my family?" He waited for Naruto to counter that, knowing that the blond wasn't someone who admitted defeat easily. But he was once again surprised when Naruto didn't reply at all, continuing instead to throw pebbles to the water. "You know that I'm planning to destroy Konoha."

"Ah…" He smiled that wretched smile of understanding again. "But not all of them killed your family. The villagers didn't even know of the orders."

"I don't have business with those who has nothing to do with me," Sasuke hissed.

"But they _will_ be affected. Once the pillar of Konoha is destroyed, the village would be vulnerable to attacks. Where will the people be then?"

"Leaders can always be replaced."

Naruto laughed. "True. But Tsunade seems to be finding a hard time looking for the next Hokage."

Sasuke couldn't help but laugh at that. "Hokage?" He spat the word out, full of disgust. "I don't care about the Hokage. I don't care whether they find replacement in ten years or a hundred! I have no business with the Hokage. No matter what happens, I _will_ kill the elders."

Sasuke hated this. It had been so long since he last saw Naruto, and the boy could still rile him up. Had he not decided long ago to cut off everything from him? So, why did Naruto still have that effect? Realizing that he was once again being affected by mere words from the blond, he willed himself to calm down. He had to stop this. All ties must be broken, that was what his brother told him. Itachi's words in mind, he stood up and drew his Kusanagi. Without wasting another second, he flew so fast towards Naruto who had his back on him to land a deadly strike… and was blocked by a mere Kunai.

His face frowned into concentration as they went with attacking and blocking until they reached a small clearing inside the forest. None of them really landed a blow, and Sasuke was getting frustrated. Kusanagi wasn't an ordinary sword. It was made of a special metal that could cut through anything. How could a mere kunai stand against it? He had already struck the kunai so many times, yet it hadn't shown any sign of breaking. And why was Naruto much faster than before? He couldn't even land a decent hit, and he doubted the blond boy was even putting that much effort to it.

He gritted his teeth in annoyance. There was no way the Dobe was much stronger than he was now. He pulled his arm up and slashed down with all his might, and he finally cornered Naruto up against the tree. In this point now, he could care less whether Naruto was going easy on him or not. What mattered was for him to severe the remaining tie he had. But he was thrown off his momentum when he caught sight of Naruto's… embarrassingly, disgustingly sad face.

That was when Naruto's words from earlier resonated inside his mind. He didn't say anything like, _'I will bring you back to Konoha'_ but instead was asked to _'go back to Konoha' _and it strangely disturbed him.

"Why are you out here, Naruto?" He suddenly asked, their weapons still stuck against each other. If he didn't know the boy any better, he would have been fooled by his calm demeanor Unfortunately for him, he knew Naruto. To him, Naruto's eyes told everything he could wish to know. And he saw a slight panic from them. If what his gut was telling him were correct, then he would laugh at Naruto's face from his naivete.

He was ready to hear the endless rant and the rocketing boastfulness solely Naruto, ready to hear him gloat about being sent on a long-term mission outside the village gates that had him under-cover. What he wasn't prepared though was for the younger boy to look at him with sad eyes and a bitter smile. Seeing the Dobe so uncharacteristic like that made all his plan of laughing forgotten and unparalleled anger rose up from his stomach upon realization.

"Naruto!" He screamed with all the anger he felt. The blood boiled inside him, and he could feel the violent swirling of Sharingan in his eyes. He felt all the anger for the murderers of his family explode all of a sudden with great vengeance. "You're not here because of a long-term mission, are you?" It wasn't a question, more like a statement, and both of them knew how much truth that statement holds. "You don't have your forehead protector on. Did they throw you out of Konoha? Tell me! Did they finally have enough of the fucking monster and had cast you out? Answer me, you fucking idiot!" But Naruto wasn't listening. In his frustration, Sasuke threw the Kusanagi on the ground as his hands grabbed both of Naruto's arms.

_Why am I getting so damn worked up?_

"So it's true. They were finally through using you as their shield, is that it? Your usage has expired! You're not useful to them anymore and have seen you as a damned threat so they decided to cast the monster out, and you fucking let them? You let them kick you out of the village you put your life in danger to protecting? Fuck! Naruto, how stupid can you get?"

_What am I saying?_

"Why can't you see how they treat you? They treat you as nothing more than a trash, Naruto! And you still want to protect them? Fuck! How long do you intend to go on spouting about nonsense and turning blind eye to what the leaders of your beloved village – "

Naruto did a sharp intake, cutting through his speech successfully. It had Sasuke frowning in confusion, had him wondering what the hell was happening.

"Sa… Sasuke…" Naruto's voice sounded so weak that Sasuke hated it immediately. For someone so calm just a few seconds ago even with his boorish yells, Naruto's eyes became considerably wide. He even started to break into sweat suspiciously when he didn't even break even a drop remotely close to perspiration during all of those fighting. And he could feel tremors under his palms, too. "Let… let me go."

Sasuke's eyebrows creased even more if possible. An unwanted sinking feeling settled in his gut, and he found himself calling out for Naruto. "…Dobe?" Naruto kept talking to himself, repeatedly pleading for someone to stop. A mantra of _'not now'_ escaped his lips as his eyes started to look frighteningly out of focus and he kept shaking his head. His trembling hands clutched mightily to Sasuke's own. "Oi, Naruto!"

Violent shaking erupted from the blonde, throwing him off balance. It was only thanks to Sasuke's good reflex that he caught the blond. He could hear himself calling out Naruto's name over and over with obvious concern and undeniable fear that he almost couldn't tell it came from him.

"Sa…" Naruto called out to him, his face now stained with overflowing tears. "… su…" Just like that, Naruto succumbed into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Please tell me what you think of this. Reviews are much appreciated and needed from those who read this story. It motivates me and lets me know this is worth something. Thank you very much!<p>


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

_Why am I here?_

Sasuke tapped his fingers against his folded arms. They gathered at the cabin's living room, with only a low table full of cups of tea to separate the two groups. Suigetsu was sitting at the farthest corner in his left, completely free of chakra rope and seal, sword hanging cautiously within reach, Karin on his right, and Juugo standing behind him. Naruto's group were all on the other side of the living room.

The white haired kid sat on the right corner near the veranda, playing unenthusiastically with the white fox. A man with long blonde hair with bangs parted on the middle sat across Sasuke, sipping his own tea calmly. The group's red-head, a colour closer to blood than Karin's own, sat beside the blonde man. Much to Sasuke's annoyance, the woman had been checking him since earlier with a creepy smile that made Karin even bitchier than usual. Behind them, a tall lanky guy sat crossed-leg, leaning against the wall. He looked bored, his face not changing much, but Sasuke was sure that even this guy was checking him out – though for a reason much different from the red-head.

_Why am I here?_

They were all waiting patiently for the little girl with long ebony hair in a white dress to step out of Naruto's room. She appeared to be the healer of their group. He didn't know how good her medical abilities were, but he guessed anything would do in situations like this. Naruto's group members also seemed prepared that time when he collapsed only telling him that something like this had been happening for quite some time.

A crease formed in his forehead as he stared blankly ahead.

_Why am I here?_ He should have left a few hours ago since nothing was worth doing here. So why was he here? Karin had also been bitching on and on about leaving. Frankly, he was getting tired hearing her voice that he was so tempted to crush her throat, leaving her speechless for life. If only he didn't need her warning of enemies approaching, he would have done so long ago.

Surprisingly enough, Suigetsu hadn't said a word to rile Karin more. Normally, he would have called the red-haired freak a bitch by now and then they'd fight. But today wasn't a normal day. The indifferent water ninja also seemed to be on high alert of the people around him. Sasuke just couldn't figure out what was so threatening with a bunch of idiots playing house.

The house itself was simple, made entirely out of woods. No second floor, but looks spacious enough for Naruto's group. The furniture showed of usage, not for a long time but definitely not for a short time either. And something tells him the house was especially made for them. Naruto must have decided to live here for good.

_Why am I still here?_

Just then, the sliding paper door of the living room slid open. All heads turned to the door, and there stood the small girl. She looked eerily calm for a child who was made to look over a sick person. She didn't even look tired from the few hours she had been healing Naruto.

"He's fine now." Collectives of relieved sighs erupted. "You can see him if you want, although he's sleeping." Not another word was needed, Naruto's group all stood up and were about to leave when the little girl called him. "Are you Sasuke?"

Sasuke raised a brow. "Hm…" Crimson eyes looked directly at him. Silence ensued in the first few minutes, nobody dared to move. "You should probably see him. He's been calling out to you."

Sasuke could feel every eyes bore in his head, some gaze more intense than the other but he could definitely feel some of the amusement. "You just said he's sleeping."

The girl just shrugged. "Sleep-talking."

Due to curiosity and not anything else as what Sasuke would like to believe, he slowly stood up and walked to where the girl came from. The blonde man nodded kindly to him and showed him the way, leaving behind his team.

The door opened slowly in suspense, and he almost rolled his eyes in the cliché-ness. Ages passed, or that was what he felt, and the door finally gave way to them. His eyes instantly fell to the sleeping blonde. The dobe was sweating bullets, complexion pale, ragged breathing. Two hours had passed and he was still like this, Sasuke could only imagine what he was like two hours earlier.

Moans of pain filled the room, and before Sasuke realized, he was already beside the dobe. His eyes fixed on the sweat stained blonde mane, wondering vaguely why the hair seems different from before. Somehow, it shines like gold. Sasuke mentally shook his head and immediately dismissed whatever unwanted thoughts he had. "What's wrong with him?" He turned to ask the other blonde.

"Why?" A low voice Sasuke hasn't heard before asked him daringly, which he only answered with unparalleled coldness. "Why should we tell you? You don't care for him. You even tried to kill him." Bitterness practically oozed out from every word.

"True." Sasuke couldn't stop his forehead from creasing, understanding from what the curly haired boy has said that Naruto told them about what happened in their past. He couldn't stand the fact that these guys here were someone so important in Naruto's life to even tell them their story. What's most unbearable though was the fact that even he couldn't say anything sarcastic to shoot that foul-mouthed meddler.

Low animalistic growl came from somewhere, and Sasuke shot his head to search where it came from. It certainly didn't come from the white fox since it was panting profusely. Onyx eyes travelled from each person, searching for traces where it might came from. They, in turn, were watching him in wide eyes. The curly guy was bearing his teeth at him (which he assumed where the growling came from), the red-head smirking, the blonde man stiffly watching, the little girl as quiet as she could be. What crawled under his skin most was the white-haired brat. He was watching him with big round golden eyes full of wonder, or more specifically, he was looking at the bed.

Sasuke turned his head down, mentally preparing himself from what he was about to see. What he saw though couldn't have saved himself even with any amount of preparations he made.

_Ah._

So that was why his hands felt full. Through the exchange, Naruto's unconscious form reached out to his hand and settled firmly there. That was the only explanation he would accept because he certainly was not a man to touch freely. And the squeeze just now certainly was not him, because he just not _squeeze._ He would deny it until the day he dies.

"… Sas…" It was barely a whisper, but Sasuke heard it anyway. Naruto was anything but weak, and it irritated him to no end seeing how vulnerable he was.

"What? Dobe." He snapped. To his mild amusement, Naruto seemed to calm down. His breathing evened down, and his forehead smoothened out. It all looked funny that Sasuke couldn't stop the snort and the smirk from breaking free. "What a dobe."

"Nanda…" Small girly boy's voice cut through Sasuke's muses. He turned to see the white haired boy. "Snapping at an unconscious person. And here I thought you looked so cool. I wonder what Naruto sees in you."

"Hmm?" The red-head hummed. "It's the eyes, the eyes! Definitely the way he looks! Oohh, that's every girl's dream."

"Does that mean I'm not a girl?" It was the little girl. "'Cause it's definitely not what I want. Besides, Naruto isn't a girl."

"Baka Yukari! You're not a girl! You're neither!"

"Oi, chibi! Don't go spouting nonsense when there are outsiders here! It's embarrassing!" A whack on the white-head.

"Ouch! Oryu, Feng just whacked my head! Hey! I'm no chibi!"

"Serves you right, idiot! Yukari, honey, you'll understand Naruto once you get to experience it."

Clearing of throat then a clear strict voice said, "You two, stop it."

Silence.

"Yukari, please explain to him what Naruto's condition is." The blonde man continued.

"No. We don't owe him an explanation."

"Shut up, Sho."

"No Keisuke, you shut up. Why do we have to tell him about Naruto? He could use it for his advantage in killing him."

The white head narrowed his golden eyes. "I can smell your intention from here, Curly-head. It's disgusting."

A hiss. "Annoying brat."

"Stupid worm."

A flash of icy silvery blue eyes. "Worm? You dare call me a worm you useless cat."

"Hah! At least I'm not a pretentious bitch!"

"Hora, hora! Stop it, boys! You'd wake Naruto-chi!"

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. _Naruto… chi?_

"Don't butt in, Feng!" The shortest boy cried.

Someone cleared throat.

"No, Oryu." Stoic eyes gleamed murder. A sword was unsheathed. "This kid has pushed me past my limit."

"Bring it on, baka!"

Just as the two noisy idiots were about to jump on each other's throat, the temperature of the room drastically dropped to freezing point. Sasuke didn't know if it was his imagination but it also got darker, though the lights were working perfectly. The feeling he got from the sudden change made him recall the times he stayed in Orochimaru's wing. No light from the outside could have penetrated in his lair, and the light they had inside only made the coldness worse. Walls seemed to have been breathing and the hallways looked endless. Even the small sound of tapping fingers would echo throughout, and one could perfectly hear the heart beats of those who still had it.

Cold murders practically screamed through everything: the walls, the hallways, the lights, the silence… and the air. It was _that_ type of eerie feeling that he got now but much, much sinister, and he was sure it wasn't just him. Even the two who were about to kill each other was frozen to spot. Heavy silence enveloped them, so silent that Sasuke couldn't even hear anyone breathing.

He could feel the darkness, the coldness, and the killing intent… Survival instinct suddenly kicking in, he alerted his senses, ready for any attack. Hairs covering his whole body suddenly crawled when a low animalistic growl much fiercer than what he heard before from Naruto's team rang through the silence. Drop of water rolled through his cheek. Water he soon realized as his very own sweat.

It was ridiculous. He hadn't felt anything like this before. Neither Itachi nor Orochimaru's aura rattled him this much. Not even Madara's own killing intent had this effect on him. Even when he met the Kyuubi sealed inside Naruto, he didn't feel this… _threatened._

"…Bastards…" Sasuke almost jumped, and his neck almost snapped when he turned to look behind him. Naruto. He almost forgot Naruto. He was so caught up with the group's argument that he didn't notice how Naruto's hold tightened around his own. Onyx eyes watched as Naruto's eyelids opened to reveal beautiful crimson with cat-like slits. "You bastards better have good enough reason for waking me up."

More silence answered Naruto, which only made the younger boy crankier Sasuke could almost see a nerve on his forehead. Movement from the door made him turn back to the spectators, and he saw the other blonde and the little girl quietly sneaking away out of the room, but the other three just stayed on their spots. From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto lift a hand up. "I'm fuckin' pissed off right now." A flick of Naruto's wrist and a strong gush of wind blew the three away, out of the room against a wall, and closed the door with a slam.

He could hear the grumbles from the other side of the door. Distinctly, he could also make out a voice of a little girl saying something 'serves you right' and a strict voice of a man telling them about their punishment. Then on, cries of pain and whines ensued.

Naruto sighed. His face turned back to normal, no traces of the coldness whatsoever. Sweat glistened against the light, and if Sasuke was brave enough, he could have admitted that the blonde boy looked beautiful in his eyes. More beautiful than the women he had ever seen. But no, Sasuke was an idiot and he wasn't brave enough so he dismissed any thought of him finding the dobe _beautiful_, and denied that even the word itself crossed his mind.

"What happened to you?" His voice sounded softer than intended, so he backed it up with a glare.

"You don't have to know." Naruto removed his hand holding his, leaving his own hand all sweaty then shifts on his bed, finding a more comfortable position. "You're leaving me anyway."

Something stung inside him when the last sentence was said. If it hadn't looked suspicious, he would have raised his hand and touch his chest to feel where the tugging came from. Naruto said those words so bitterly, but what disturbed him most was the underlying tone of resignation. Has Naruto given up on him? He wanted to say it's true, that he was indeed leaving, but he got a feeling that if he said those words, they would forever part and never see each other again.

Wasn't he wondering earlier what he hadn't left yet? Then why, now, does he feel unprepared for such a thought? It was the bond, he decided. He was still not prepared because he still had to severe their bond. "Hn. Looks like you've resigned on me."

Naruto glared at him, the glare he was so used to receiving and Sasuke was glad it was back to normal sky-blue. "Come on, Sasuke. We both know you would leave me no matter what I say. You left me alone in Konoha, and you wouldn't come back no matter how much I tried." He rolled to his side, his back against Sasuke. "You always found a way to leave me. You always do."

The raven watched the dobe's back. He couldn't believe how much pain Naruto was showing through mere words. Heaviness weighed his chest down, and he didn't know where it came from. It almost made him regret what he did all those years ago. Almost. But he has a mission. He has to make those who killed his family pay for what they had done. Those people took everything away from him. And he would make his family proud knowing their deaths has been avenged.

He has a mission. But he also wanted to know what was going on with Naruto.

_Why? Why do I want to know? _Sasuke never liked things he didn't understand. And not understanding something makes him unbelievably irritated. He 'tsked'. "I shouldn't have waited for you to wake up." He spat without realizing it.

_What is wrong with me?_

"You waited?"

"Fuck, Naruto. Why do you think I'm still here? Are you blind? Can't you see me?" When he saw Naruto's shocked face, he realized his mistake. He just unconsciously told Naruto that he waited, thus indirectly admitting he cared.

Bewilderment graced his usually stoic face.

_The hell? I do?_

Didn't he want to kill Naruto? What happened to all that shit about killing and severing their bond?

"Fuck this. Have it your way, I don't care." He turned to make his leave, but a hand grabbed his own and he grudgingly stopped. He swore if the dobe was just going to tease him endlessly about his slip-up, he would really kill him. Consequences be damned, he would never show any weakness. To hide his mistake, he thought of yelling at the blonde and call him stupid. But fear stained face stopped him from doing so.

How he could always tell what Naruto was feeling was beyond him. Sometimes, he cursed his ability to read the blonde like an open page because he would then eventually be affected. Like now. Words were plastered in those fearful eyes. It screams _'Don't leave me'_ right at his face that got Sasuke dizzy. Naruto would never tell him out loud, but he still understands. Why does he understand?

_It's because of the bond_, he decided.

Sasuke gave in. He let out a long suffering sigh and sat down on a wooden chair beside Naruto's bed, their hands still clutched firmly. "Seventeen…" Naruto started. "Seventeen years ago, the Kyuubi went on a rampage and almost destroyed Konoha. Lives were lost and sacrifices were made. The fourth Hokage sealed the Kyuubi inside a newborn, trading his life in exchange. But that's not all there is to the story…"

Sasuke watched as blue eyes stared in a daze, as if recalling what really took event that fateful night. "Yondaime didn't just grab a nameless newborn. It was his own son. It was me. He used a seal that enables me to use Kyuubi's chakra, but there was one flaw – a flaw he didn't even know existed. Through the years and through the continuous usage of Kyuubi's chakra, my own started to bleed into its own."

"…you're merging?"

Naruto looked at him with desperation, on what he did not know, and he unconsciously tightened his hold to Naruto's own. "No, Sasuke. We are not just merging because Kyuubi is dying. If we were merely merging, I would die too! But I'm not dying…"

Sasuke waited in anticipation for the bomb to be dropped. "It may not be complete yet, but slowly, surely, I am becoming the new Kyuubi, Sasuke." And bomb it was.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Laughter rang in his ear, tickling every fibre of his being. Not that he would admit. To his defense though, he wouldn't feel like this for any other laugh. Actually, he wouldn't feel anything at all when someone laughs. These feathery touches inside him were all caused by Naruto's laugh, or smile. When the blonde frowns in pain though, the feathers would weigh like a full-grown elephant struggling to stay inside him, desperately trying to take him down. Causes of these happened to be Naruto, and he didn't understand why.

Sasuke watched as the white-head he had come to know as Kei grabbed Naruto's hand to come in another shop.

Yesterday had been eventful with Naruto's episode and all. With all the things he learned just for a few minutes, he should have been paralyzed due to excess shock. He was shocked, and he was still processing the information inside his head. After all of what has been said and done, he could have gathered his group and left. He could have pretended that he didn't just discover one of Naruto's secrets and proceed on his way of avenging his clan. That was the ideal course of action. After all, he only asked Naruto what was happening because of curiosity. After seeing Naruto's fear-stricken face though, he found himself unable to leave. In the end, he stayed – along with his teammates.

He could perfectly remember in great detail the face of the dobe when he was in so much pain. Beads of sweat trickling down the side of his face, blonde hair slick, and laboured breathing… He had never seen Naruto in so much pain before even with all the fights they have been. And it was all because of the Kyuubi.

Naruto was becoming the Kyuubi.

No matter how hard he tried to understand, Sasuke couldn't even begin to grasp the tip of it. What he just knew was that the Kyuubi's existence was diminishing, therefore making its host, which is Naruto fill in the soon to be empty chair. The process of making Naruto's body able to accommodate the infinite chakra took place approximately a year ago. According to Naruto, the 'episodes' are the side effects. It was unbearably painful when it happens, but he says something about it becoming less and less through the year. A sign that it would stop soon enough.

But nothing made any sense. At all, if Sasuke speaks so frankly.

The Kyuubi is a mass of chakra, an eternal existence. How could Naruto replace something like that? Sasuke didn't know the answer, and he was so sure Naruto still hides something from him – not that he could complain. He's just irritated that the five of Naruto's team seemed to know all, when he, the best friend, gets kept in the dark.

Sasuke mentally raised his brow. Did he just call himself Naruto's best friend? It felt like forever since he even thought about it. He was so caught up on his quest that he practically threw everything else away – even Naruto. No wonder the blonde is so bitter to him.

_I'm at it again._

He shook his head, seemingly realizing that his thoughts were once again revolving around the blonde-haired idiot. His eyes searched for the dobe who was laughing freely as the other red-head, Feng as they call her, grabbed Kei in an attempt of a bone-breaking hug. Seeing him so carefree like that made Sasuke wonder whether the things yesterday were all just a dream. That would be much believable.

Naruto caught him staring and smiled. In an instant, the bubbles inside his stomach were resurrected, popping here and there only to resurface again. It was uncomfortable. Especially since the blonde had been checking up on him every once in a while, probably making sure that he was still there. And all of this shit was seriously starting to piss Sasuke off.

"Why so broody, Sasuke-teme?" The familiar name-calling rolled smoothly from Naruto's tongue it felt so natural. Since yesterday, he was called by his name all the time he almost forgot abut the 'teme' part. This was the first after such a long time that Naruto called him that.

"Why so stupid, Dobe?" Kei laughed out loud at the smart comeback.

"He's cool!"

"Shut up, Kei! I thought you're with me? Why are you siding with him?"

"Oh, shut it, Dobe. Don't blame the kid for believing the truth." Then Naruto went to his usual tirade that Sasuke couldn't help but feel the sense of normalcy.

When the word crossed his thought though, a huge mallet just whacked him straight on his head that literally made him dizzy and left him confused. _Normalcy._ What was Normal to him? These past few years, the normal thing in his life was to be a fugitive, gather information about his family's murderers, strengthen himself up some more, and kill those who tries to get in his way. That was Sasuke's normal life and he had been doing it for the past six years.

_That's my life._

Then why in the world did he just think of this… _thing _with Naruto, normal? No, it should not have been 'normal'. Whatever happened between the two of them when they were kids should remain where it was supposed to be – the past. Didn't he say he threw everything away for the sake of his goal, including Naruto? That's right, he doesn't have the right to call whatever _this_ is, as normal.

What's more, he was being sidetracked from his original plans.

Wave of pure rage coursed through Sasuke's veins at the realization. His hands clenched on his sides and his jaw tightened. It had been so long since he last saw Naruto, and the blonde could still make him so distracted that he could forget everything else. He was supposed to feel nothing but pure, sizzling hatred. That was what Itachi said. It was necessary for survival and that was what he had been holding on to live. But every damn time Naruto gets involved in him, some part of his logic would go haywire and a little bit of feeling would come to life.

He didn't know why, but this had been happening since forever. Even as kids, the blonde already held so much power to stir _something_ inside him. And he hated Naruto for that. He started to say mean things to the blonde, even calling him names. Before long, even the name-callings turned to endearments. Naruto became his best friend. It was dangerous, so dangerous that he even came close to forgetting his revenge and he started to consider living a normal life.

Then Orochimaru came. It was then that Sasuke realized how sidetracked he became. He fled when the opportunity came.

However, the stupid idiot still followed him around, spouting nonsense of coming home. No one knew how he would sway every time Naruto would show him a dejected look, no one but Sasuke. Every damn time, a thought would come across Sasuke's mind that he would immediately dismiss before anything else happened. It was the thought of wretched words being spoken to the blonde: _come with me._ But he couldn't take the risk of having Naruto around because the blonde himself posed so much danger. Danger of him losing his mind.

He thought of putting distance between him and Naruto and hopefully stop the blonde's unwanted effect on him. Maybe then when they meet again, no amount of Naruto-ness could shake him, but he was wrong. So unbelievably fucking wrong. The effect of the blonde on him just got stronger as he aged. Even with all the distance and coldness he accumulated.

Now, what the hell has dawned in him to even stay here? _With_ Naruto?

Now, Naruto has made him sidetracked. Again.

_Fuck!_

"Sasuke?" Karin's voice full of concern woke him up. She had on a worried look and her face was so close that had him uncomfortable. The girl even had the guts to clutch on his arm that Sasuke's bad mood skyrocketed.

He didn't even have to send her a deathly glare. His icy stare was enough to send the girl away from his personal bubble. When he could feel his resolve steeling a bit more, he turned to look at his blonde problem and they stared at each other for who knows how long. He could feel everyone present's stare at him and one particular nasty glare, things that didn't matter. And he made sure that sentiment came out pretty much obvious especially to the one curly-head sending him a glare.

Naruto looked back blankly at him, and then the blonde looked down. He got that look of an abandoned puppy, the look that has secretly shaken up Sasuke for so many times. Seems like the blonde was not as stupid as he initially thought. Just one look and the dobe understood what he was trying to say; that he was leaving.

"Let's go, Karin." The spectacled red-head happily complied and they started to walk away, back to the cabin where they left Juugo and Suigetsu. When they have re-grouped, they would continue their journey like nothing happened. Like how it was supposed to be.

"_What happened to you?" His voice sounded softer than intended, so he backed it up with a glare._

"_You don't have to know. You're leaving me anyway."_

Sasuke could still feel the stares boring a hole in his back, and he willed himself not to look back. When the image of Naruto's crestfallen face popped in his head, he tried so hard to shove it away.

"_Come on, Sasuke. We both know you would leave me no matter what I say. You left me alone in Konoha, and you wouldn't come back no matter how much I tried."_

That's right. He doesn't need all of this shit in his quest. Whatever problems Naruto had, he could chuck it up to himself because Sasuke doesn't care. He does not need anything that could possibly distract him and be a trouble for him. He doesn't need Naruto.

"_You always found a way to leave me. You always do."_

"Fuck!"

…

Sasuke could not believe how thoroughly stupid he had actually become. There he was walking out of Naruto's group, out of Naruto's life, and out of his blonde problem when a sudden surge of stupidity came over him. The people around him were shocked, of course. Even Naruto was shocked. Heck, he was surprised too. Who wouldn't when out of the blue, he turned around on his heel and walked right back?

He could still remember the look of horror in Karin's face that at least satisfied him a bit. But what appealed to him the most was not Kei's _'Hurrah!' _or the mute guy's, whatever his name is, stabbing glare. No. Those were mere pebbles in comparison to the giant boulder that was Feng's reaction. He could still hear the horrible sound of _'Hohoho!'_ inside his head when he walked back to Naruto and whacked his head. It was a good thing when the sultry woman grabbed the spectacled bitch away for some serious shopping, leaving them four alone.

The silence that hung between him and Naruto was unbearable. Sasuke grew up pretty much alone so he didn't know a way of appeasing tension, but he at least knew how to bring Naruto out of dumps. Truthfully though, it was all he cared to learn as much as socializing goes. He told Naruto he was hungry and the blonde instantly glowed.

So here they were now, walking to the shop Naruto frequented. The blonde said they just went here yesterday, but he said it was because he snuck out of the cabin. _"It wasn't fair when only they get to go to the village! But they still manage to find me and drag me back! Said it was a precaution in case a 'glitch' happens but Oryu still wouldn't allow me to go even with someone! How nasty could it get?" _Was what he said.

Sasuke didn't even have to talk since Naruto found another talking gun in the form of Keisuke. Not that he complained. But the glare from the other curly raven was really starting to tire him out.

Whispers suddenly filled Sasuke's ears, and not a beat later, girls started to flock around them. The moment he saw a girl trying to get close to him, he instinctively let out a murderous aura. He made it look like he was ready to kill anyone who would dare step another closer. Well, not just made it 'look' like he was ready to kill because he really _is _going to kill anyone who dares touch him.

That was enough to fend off the rabid dogs out of his range.

He turned to look at the others and smirked when he saw how the mute guy glared off at the each and everyone who tried to smother him. It was funny how he tried so hard to be out of reach, and Sasuke be damned if he looked like that when he was on his process of shooing unwanted people off.

"It hurts…" A whiny cry made the mute raven turn to the little kid.

Kei was being flocked like a golden treasure. Every hands touched everything about him, hair, face, hands, and even areas where he shouldn't be touched. Just seeing those girls do something like that to a kid made even the coldest of Sasuke's blood boil. To his surprise though, the curly-head suddenly shouted.

"What are you doing to him you bitches?" Collective of gasps among the town's folks who heard his outburst erupted to the air. But curly-head was not done yet, he grabbed Kei by his arm and hid the poor kid behind him before continuing where he started off. "How dare you have your dirty paws on a kid! You! You ugly old bitch! I saw you even touch him down _there!_ Aren't you ashamed? How old do you think you are?"

The girls whined at him, making faces they assumed to be appealing. Sasuke almost gagged.

"Fuck off whores! Get away from us! And you!" He turned to the white-head kid. "You should at least know when to act! Did you want them harassing you? They had all their dirty hands on you and you did nothing but whine!"

Sasuke watched as the curly-head gave Kei a severe ear bashing, but Naruto's shocked exclamation dragged him back to his 'blonde-problem'.

"Ehh? For me?"

In front of Naruto was a girl with midnight black hair that reaches her shoulders. Jade eyes shines her face, all in all, she was what a normal guy would probably call attractive. Well, Sasuke was not sure. He had never looked at anyone and labelled one as attractive or beautiful or even just appealing. Not one. Except perhaps Naruto. But that's probably because he could not see anyone except the blonde as someone worthy enough to be noticed.

The girl offered the flower to Naruto once more, emphasizing her point that yes, the flower was intended for him. Naruto nervously laughed, his hand shakily accepting said flower while the other hand scratched the back of his head. It was a mannerism Sasuke knew the blonde does every time he gets unbelievably nervous. "Thanks." And the girl ran back to her friends waiting for her not far behind.

Naruto looked at him with wide eyes, and then he suddenly laughed. "Who knew even I could get an admirer?"

Sasuke on the other hand felt an unbearable bubble of irritation grow inside him while he watched the whole exchange. He had no idea where it came from, just that he suddenly hated the girl with a passion. His hands itched to grab the flower and mercilessly slice it to pieces with his Kusanagi before landing a chidori.

"Hn."

_What is wrong with me?_

The blonde stared at him before his face warped into a malicious grin. He wiggled his eyebrows, the one he was so fond of doing when he was teasing someone. How Sasuke hated it when Naruto purposely messes up his face just to tease him. "Ne, Sasuke-teme… you're jealous, aren't ya?"

Sasuke's chest just did a somersault that would have probably shown if it wasn't for years and years of maintaining a blank face. Not that he had a reason to hide it. "You can hog all the women as much as you like, I have no interest in them."

"What? You're actually not interested in women? That's such a waste! I mean, they're soft and cuddly and curvy. Why are you, the great Sasuke Uchiha not interested? Ah! Are you perhaps already interested in someone?" Sasuke could see Naruto's over enthusiasm which practically screamed falseness. He didn't know the reason behind such act, but he could see perfectly well the strain in Naruto's face and voice even without sharingan.

"Ah! I think I know something~" Keisuke suddenly butted in.

_Know something?_ Sasuke's brows knitted. What could the kid know _something _when he himself doesn't even know _anything?_ "That's cheap, Sasuke-teme! Why does Keisuke know when you didn't even tell me, your best friend?"

"Shut up, Dobe. Even_ I_ have no idea what the kid's spouting about."

"Stupid Teme! Don't try to hide it now! Keisuke wouldn't lie to me!"

"Idiot Dobe! I _told_ you I don't know what he's talking about! Besides, why would I say something like that to you?"

"Because _I'm_ your best friend!" Then a look of epiphany crossed the blonde's face. "Or am I not your best friend anymore? That's it, isn't it…?"

_Ugh…_

Sasuke sighed. "…No, dobe. Why do you think I stayed here in the first place?" To Sasuke's horror, Naruto suddenly jumped behind him and latched onto his back. He instinctively tightened his hold under Naruto's knees wrapped around his torso. He could have dodged, of course. But he really didn't want to see that kicked-puppy look on the blonde's face. It was official. Something really _is _wrong with him.

Little prickles at his skin warned him of something unpleasant, which he later knew as the handy work of the curly-head. If glares could bring someone back to life, Sasuke might have resurrected all of his clan members with the worth of raven-head's glare sent to him in less than twenty-four hours. Thankfully, Keisuke had some sense in him.

"Wat'cha looking at Curly-head?" Looks like it wasn't only Sasuke who calls the raven names. "Don't go stabbing someone with glares! Come on and get going!"

"Don't touch me, stupid old man!" Kei grabbed the raven and forcefully dragged him off.

"We're just the same age Sho, so if I'm an old man, you are too! 'Sides, I'm not an old man!"

"Are you fuckin' telling me you're going to leave Naruto with that stupid jerk? If you're fine with it, well I'm not!"

When the two were out of earshot, Sasuke decided to ask Naruto why 'Sho' was so hostile when it comes to him. It could not have been because he tried to kill Naruto before because then, the rest of the group should have that kind of reaction to him (or maybe they really have, not just painfully obvious). He really tried to understand why he acted like that, but Sasuke could not just fathom the reason why. "Why is he so dramatic anyway?"

Naruto tightened his hold around his shoulders. "Hm? That's probably because he claims he's in love with me."

Something inside Sasuke snapped. Whatever was wrong with him be damned. His team could go and wonder what was going on with him but he would rather stay here now. Fuck the reason why, he couldn't even understand anyway. But it was more official than any official documents or existing laws out there: He doesn't like that stupid sea-weed hair and there was no way in hell he would leave the Dobe in that man's care.

"Hn."

* * *

><p>Please review. I like reviews. :)<p>

And thanks to those who gave their reactions.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

"Let me get this straight." Sakura's shaky breath was like a needle that pricked Tsunade's soul. "You're saying that a year ago, Naruto was not sent for a long term mission alone; and you're also saying that the announcement made four months ago that Naruto died in action was not true. That it was all the handy work of the Council. Is that it?"

Tsunade could tell how the young Kunoichi was trying hard not to blame her. Even if she did, Tsunade would not hold it against her because she had also blamed herself for Naruto's banishment. If only she was stronger, if only the power of Hokage did not diminish when The Third died, maybe she could have found a way for making Naruto stay. Even now, a year later, she still had those thoughts running at the back of her mind. If only Naruto did not resign to his fate, she could have done something about it eventually. If only she could turn back time, she would have risked her life on the line just for the sake of the kid. If only, if only…

One might question Tsunade's insanity of even betting on her life like that for the sake of one person – a person who was thought of as a monster. But she would not have any of that. Naruto was and still is special to her. It was like getting her younger brother once again. No, maybe Naruto is different from her brother. Maybe Naruto was her third sibling, another brother. For that alone, Tsunade would take every risk to protecting the kid.

_Kid… Maybe he had stopped being a kid a long time ago._

Maybe so. Naruto had seen unimaginable things. He had experienced things no other person his age had, even exceeding most of the adult's experiences. Even hers. And now, the boy that had become a 'man' had responsibility far greater than everyone else's. No matter, he would still remain as her 'Gaki'.

Tsunade looked down at her table where three parchment scrolls innocently lie down. Two scrolls that contained very important information and one that contains a letter for her blonde kid. That's right, there was a reason why she called for the ninjas standing in her office.

Kakashi looked as calm as ever, but she knew how much the news had greatly shocked the copy-nin. He had already lost one student, and losing a second one made the usually elusive ninja even more hard to find and hard to approach. It wasn't a secret to her how he secretly cared for the only left Uchiha, and most of all it was so obvious in her eyes how he cared for his old sensei's son. And now, she just laid the truth before him that the thought to be dead blonde is very much alive.

Quiet sobs finally crawled under her nerves. Sometimes, she just cannot endure the pink-haired girl's overly emotional tendencies. "Right." Tsunade tried to drown the sobs away. "This information is classified and I trust you not to divulge anything about this to anyone. But I'm not going to tell you that I agreed to the decision. Which is why I got you three here."

Kakashi looked at her with the usual expressionless eyes, Sai looked alert whilst comforting the girl, and Sakura finally sucked up her sobs. "I am going to send you out of the village for an infinite time under the pretense of doing a mission. I want you to find Naruto. Find him as fast as possible."

…

"Stop it! Keisuke! Shiro!" Naruto's lively laughter filled the air. The blonde was playing at the garden where Sasuke could see every bit of it from the veranda he was sitting on. It was distracting to say the least for Sasuke who was reading a Jutsu scroll. He could perfectly see how the fox grabbed Naruto's trousers by its mouth to prevent the blonde from escaping while Keisuke continuously sprayed him water from the hose.

"Hora! Take this!" Keisuke moved the mouth of the hose directly on Naruto's face while laughing manically.

Naruto tried to run but failed miserably because of Shiro. "Let me go! Aargh!"

"Fufufu…" Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. No matter how hard he tried to understand, he could still not grasp the reason why every sound that comes out of Feng's mouth seems to irritate him so much. Whether it was because of her _'Hohoho!' _or _'Fufufu'_. Why did she have to laugh like the way she does anyway? Hearing her laughter makes Sasuke involuntary think of the Fire Lord's wife. "The sound of laughter is good, no?"

Sasuke could almost see the irony. "Ahh…"

"It's peaceful." It was Juugo, much to Sasuke's surprise. For someone who doesn't really talk, it was a first for Juugo to join conversations. But he guessed among them four, it was Juugo who didn't really like fighting. In fact, the big guy loves peace. He really wanted to be rid of his curse so he could live a normal life. A life without having to live carefully in case the curse seal acts up.

However, Sasuke had to give the point to the giant. It really was peaceful, it almost felt like the murders going on out there was not happening at all. They themselves have started to feel at ease. Even Karin was going under the little girl's teachings of properly cooking. Suigetsu was sleeping on the floor like a starfish.

"Peaceful, huh? They just look like a bunch of kids." Sho scoffed.

If Sasuke could really be honest, he would say he liked how Sho thinks or how he says it and even his personality. They are somewhat the same when it comes to certain things and for once, he could say he had someone to whom he could agree with. As things stands though, the curly-head would send him a glare in any given chance. That alone made his liking diminished like ashes. When he learnt of the way he sees Naruto though, even the ashes turned to nothingness. Even if he doesn't really know why.

"Stop!" Sasuke turned to watch the blonde once more. He was being shot of water directly in the face, making him splutter. But what Naruto did to block the water made Sasuke even more surprised. The blonde whipped his hands in a lazy manner and an air pressure built up instantly in front of him to protect him from anymore assault. Come to think of it, the blonde also used wind like that the other day when he threw his team out of the room when he was rudely woken up.

It's true that Naruto's natural affinity was wind, but how could he do those things without even bothering to perform hand seals? Sasuke was sure he already saw something close to this jutsu before. He just was not sure where.

"Sasuke-teme!" To Sasuke's horror, Naruto strutted towards him dripping wet and all while laughing. He made a motion of climbing over the veranda carelessly, but Oryu stopped him with a simple call of his name. "Nanda, Oryu… So stingy." Then Naruto did it again. He took a deep breath and a gush of wind enveloped him like a thick film. Not a moment later, his body lifted a few feet off the ground before descending once again. This time, no trace of wetness anywhere.

Completely dried up, he laughed once more before finally climbing up the veranda. Sasuke watched the blonde's every move, and truthfully, he didn't know what to think when said blonde started to crawl up to him and snuggle himself against Sasuke's shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"Shut up, Sasuke. Don't be a bastard for once." Naruto brushed his face against his shoulders like how a cat would. Sasuke was about to shove the blonde away since Keisuke and Feng started cooing, but the little prickles of his skin, the indication that a glare was sent his way, made him stay. He didn't need to look at the curly-head idiot to know that the glare only intensified. Surprisingy, that made Sasuke unbelievably satisfied.

Sasuke triumphantly sent a smirk on the curly-head's direction. "Hn."

…

"Why?" Sakura quietly asked. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? Didn't you think we were worried about him too? Did you really think you're the only one who cares for Naruto?"

"Sakura." Sai called out her name in a warning tone. The girl was starting to lose her cool and her voice was starting to increase volume.

"No, Sai." Jade eyes flashed at the pale boy before turning back to the blonde woman. "Why Tsunade? Did you think we didn't care whether Naruto is safe or not? Ahh, did you think _you_ were the only one who could help him? Did you think we didn't have the right to know? That _you_ were the only one whom he could trust?"

Tsunade chose to stay silent. Every word Sakura just said was like a poisoned needle puncturing through her heart, but she didn't answer the accusations and settled to just clenching her fists._The girl is right,_ she thought. Sakura had a point. She was not the only one who loves Naruto, he had his friends to worry for him. It was just that… she also chose to fulfill her promise to the boy. A promise not to tell a soul about what happened to him, about the danger his presence yields, and about the truth she was entrusted with.

"You must have thought so highly of yourself," The girl's high-pitched shaky voice continued. "What can I say, you _are_ the Hokage. If anyone, you could have helped him most. Then tell me, Tsunade, if you were so powerful you were the only one to know, why isn't he here now? Why is he out there, _somewhere_, to who knows forsaken land! If you really are the Hokage, why couldn't you do something about his banishment? And look here now, it's almost a year since then and he's still not here! Are you really the Hokage? Did you really help him?"

Flashes of Tsunade's pleas the whole year played at the back of her mind. The moment the pound of the gavel echoed throughout the council room up to now, she had done everything she could. She had laid out every card she had in the hope of reversing what the council had decided. As shameful as it was, she already knelt before the elders, but those old fools didn't even blink an eye and Naruto was accused of corrupting her. No one knows how her rage exploded that curses and threats flew out of her mouth before she even knew it.

"You have no right to ask me that." Tsunade realy didn't want to speak, but she could only take much. The girl didn't know how much pride and dignity she had shed for the boy. No one knew. "I did everything I could."

"You did?" Sakura mocked. "Obviously, it's not enough. All of those things you say you did have resulted to nothing because obviously, there isn't any Naruto here. Or did you really do everything you could?"

"Sakura, that's enough." It wasn't Sai who intervened, it was the infamous copy-nin. Kakashi understood well how Sakura felt. Enemies might call him cold-blooded murderer or whatever, his peers might call him aloof, but he greatly treasured Naruto. He was his sensei's memento, one of the evidence of Yondaime's achievements. But more than those things, Naruto was his comrade to whom he had the trust of leaving his back with. And even if it was not supposed to, Naruto had wormed his way through his heart and branded himself as one of Kakashi's friends. Naruto was a brother as Minato was a father.

Kakashi knew all too well how the girl feels, but he also knew not to mess with the Hokage. Not just because of the official position but also because he knew how powerful a Hokage can be.

Sakura did not listen and Kakashi wondered why while the others got cute obedient little students, he got a team full of hard-headed brats. Well, they aren't his students anymore, but still the same hard-headed brats. "Did you, really? Is that all the power the highest seat in the village had? That's questionable! If you really did everything in your power, then why isn't he back? Maybe you just didn't do anything at all! Hah! No wonder you didn't want anyone to know! You didn't want us to know how all of you wrinkled old fools celebrated his banishment! After all, he's just the container of the Kyuubi in your eyes, isn't he?"

Kakashi sensed danger. "Sakura, you're out of the line."

The look in Sakura's face changed as if she had an epiphany that Kakashi thought she was back to her senses, he guessed wrong. "That's it, isn't it? You think of him as _just_ the Jinchuuriki. That's why you didn't tell us. You didn't want us to go to him and help him."

Kakashi thought whether to stop Sakura or let her continue her one-way conversation, but when Tsunade's chakra flared causing a few cracks on the window, he chose to let the girl taste the consequence of false accusation. Once Tsunade's anger became apparent, Sakura immediately froze. Kakashi could see a trail of sweat on the girl's face clear enough even without the help of the sharingan.

"You have guts to accuse me of not caring for the kid, Haruno." Sakura winced at the tone, which Kakashi couldn't blame her for. "Accuse me all you want of not having done enough because that's also what I think. But never, _never _point your finger at me and blatantly say I don't care for the boy because I do. He's the kid I'd never have. You're not the only one upset over the matters Haruno, so suck it up and shut up. Now, if you're to open your filthy little mouth again and blab off, I'll tell you now that I would have you kicked out of my office and out of the squad I'm about to send for the mission. Got it?"

That got the pink-head quiet. Truthfully, Tsunade really didn't want to be personal over the matters, but what the girl just charged her of was not something she was going to receive. Anything but that.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down. When she was sure that she could proceed again to the business without having to rip a certain pink head off, she continued to brief the team about the mission. Tsunade grabbed the scroll meant for Naruto and threw it to Kakashi which the man caught with ease. "Bring it to Naruto, it's a letter containing important information. Complex seals had it locked so as not to be read by anyone, not you, not _any _Konoha nins and especially not the enemies, but I still want you to be alert."

"Complex seals?" Sai questioned. "How is Naruto going to read that if it's sealed? Not to mention a complex seal at that."

Tsunade eyes the black and white boy. She couldn't help but sigh and rub the bridge of her nose in frustration as to why Naruto had to hide his abilities. "Don't worry. That's as easy as picking his nails for him. Now, I want you to listen carefully to my instructions."

Everyone straightened up. "On your way in finding Naruto, you are to avoid any Konoha ninja. I repeat, you are to avoid _any_ of our Konoha's ninjas or _any _ninja for the matter. Even the Suna's ninjas. As much as possible, I want you not to come across anyone."

"Watch your backs and don't leave any trail. Once Kakashi's dogs get a whiff of Naruto's scent, you are to keep the location to yourselves. Take very good care of that scroll. As I said, it contains a very important information. Now, if anyone other than Naruto got hold of that scroll and opened it, it would turn to a bomb and explode. It's a precaution, but I still do not want it on any other hands."

Tsunade could feel the arising tension and lots of questions building up, but she was not done yet. "Listen carefully, this is the most important part of your mission. When you get to Naruto, you are to protect him with your life. As Naruto mentioned to his letters, he had people around him he trusts who protects him. But it would still give me a peace of mind if I send you for his protection. Protect him from anyone, even from Konoha ninjas. And no matter what happens, ensure that he does not return here."

"Hokage," Kakashi started. "You have been repeating words of caution against Konoha ninjas, what's this all about? And I thought you were doing everything to get him back, now you don't want him here?"

…

Sasuke placed the scroll down the floor and rubbed his eyes. He had been reading for a while now and it had started to take its toll on his eyes. To the distance, he could hear how Suigetsu annoys the hell out of Karin, all the while flirting with Feng; the older red-head's laughter echoing all the way from where they are – the kitchen. Oryu and the little girl must have been out there, somewhere. He wasn't so sure since both of them rarely ever make a sound.

The raven looked back at the living room. Kei was curled on the floor like a cat, sleeping deeply. His head a few inches away from Sho's thighs. What surprised Sasuke though was the fact that the curly-head did not move away from where he was uprightly sitting. Sho's eyes were closed and he was so still Sasuke would have thought he was asleep – if not for the fingers leisurely playing with long white locks. Seems like no matter how much the two of them bite each other's head off, they were still _unconsciously _the closest. Much like him and Naruto.

Speaking of the blonde, Sasuke looked down to his lap where Naruto's head so comfortably lies. Long blonde hair covered the eyes but Sasuke was sure Naruto was sleeping due to the even breathing.

Onyx eyes stared at the blonde hair. Certainly, it was much longer than before, and less spiky too. The strands were gleaming against the sunlight and it all looks like threads of gold. It had changed, Sasuke was so sure of that. He didn't need to use the Sharingan to tell, just looking at it was enough for him. It was silkier too.

_Silkier?_

Sasuke immediately retreated his hands.

_The hell? Did I just touch his hair?_

Naruto did not even stir from the motion, making Sasuke wonder how in the world the blonde could be so relaxed with him. He had already tried to kill him so many times before, still the trust in him was so whole without even a nip.

He had to admit though, for him to be allowing Naruto take up some of his personal space was somewhat surprising since it felt so natural, so right. For someone like him who doesn't even like a thought of someone touching him in any way possible, touching Naruto had come to him as second to breathing. It was in no way awkward, or forced. It didn't even feel so threatening, as he would always feel when someone was close enough.

His hands experimentally reached out, down to that soft hair, and stroke the mane ever so softly, not wanting the tranquillity broken. After a few strokes though, he was proven right on just how natural it was to casually touch the blonde. The most surprising however, was the fact that Sasuke actually liked it. It was comforting. _This, _whatever the hell this was,_ is good._

Seeing the blonde so off-guarded around him, spending time with him in this place where no one could bother them, a thought came across his mind.

_Peaceful is nice._

…

"Hokage?" Kakashi prodded when the silence stretched.

Tsunade looked at the white-head with a slight frown on her face. She could see well the unease among the three in front of her, and she was very aware of the hanging tension just above their heads. They must have caught on to the danger her word implies. Too bad what she was about to reveal would just increase the pressure on their shoulders. "The council had secretly sent ANBU squads out there, Kakashi." Her face hardened.

"They want him dead."

…

Sasuke closed his eyes.

_Yeah. Peaceful._

* * *

><p>few notes:<p>

i might not be able to upload on a regular basis since i've already started a job, and being a designer consumes almost all of my time, so there. Today is my day off and i have taken my work home because of deadlines, but here is the new chap.

again, please review. i might get inspired to post the next chapter as fast as i can. :)


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Sho grumpily laid down the grassy field just by the lake along with the rest of the group. He didn't want to be here. If the whole group really is here with him, he'd be happy, but no, they aren't complete. Even when the arrogant boy's group is there with them, they still aren't complete. Because Naruto and that arrogant boy is not there. It didn't take much of a genius to know that the two of them are out there somewhere, and that only made Sho a little bit more unsociable and irritated. It didn't bother him about the Uchiha's absence, he doesn't think the same so about Naruto's however.

He wanted to go to where Naruto is, beat the crap out of the arrogant Uchiha, grab Naruto by the hem of his shirt to disappear and never to be found again. But it was all a thought of selfishness, and he knew doing so would hurt the blonde greatly. He didn't want that. He didn't want Naruto to be hurt. Besides, there was no way he could locate Naruto since the blonde obviously put barriers to surround him. A precaution against passer by.

"You know, I'm kinda wondering what Naru sees in Sasuke." Keisuke's musings brought everyone's wandering attention back to land. For someone like Sho, not many things could pique his interest but this is something he was also wondering about. "Well, it's not like I hate the guy but I don't get Naru. I mean, didn't Sasu-chan tried to kill him several times now?"

Sho almost nodded. Now that was something even he was not expecting. He and Kei aren't exactly the best buds out there, quite the contrary in fact. They always argue in so many things, useless and trivial ones, that would make him wonder what has gotten into him to even argue with the brat. Somehow, the 'old-man', or what he'd like to call Kei because of his silver hair, has the talent to make his usual calm, almost non-existent rage boil in just a few words. Sho didn't really understand why that is. He's the kind of detached person, nothing can usually break his poise. Even the arrogant Uchiha couldn't always rile him up much to his surprise, but the 'old-man'… well, let's say maybe they really just don't get along.

Now, finally, they had something they agree upon.

"Deciding everything base on that reason alone is biased, you know?" Much to everyone's surprise, it was Yukari who just mouthed the wise words. Yukari, the little girl who gets in a blissful state in other's pain, the sadistic witch.

"She's right." Oryu's strict voice joined the discussion. "No matter what others may say, it is only Naruto who can judge for himself. Besides, we don't know what kind of person Uchiha Sasuke is when they're together."

"Even if you say that…" Keisuke argued with a whiny tone. Not a second later, Sho almost got the air knocked off his chest only to find a white-head culprit laying innocently there. Sho sighed. The two of them really don't get along, but sometimes, the most confusing times in his opinion, Kei would get all touchy-feely. He didn't mind though, makes him wonder why. "Sasu-chan doesn't really have a nice personality you know. He's all grumpy and quiet and he's got a constant frown in his face. And he's cold."

"That's not true!" A girl's voice not really familiar in Sho's ears argued. He looked up to see a very agitated spectacled red-head. "Sasuke-kun is a very, _very _cool guy!" That was when the agitated look turned to a dreamy one and Sho looked away. "He's quiet, he's got the brains, not to mention the looks… oh, the looks! Have you seen his eyes? They are so dark and cold and deep! He melts everyone in just a stare with those cobalt eyes. He's superiorly strong too! I've never met someone with such a great chakra…"

Sho smirked.

_If only she knew._

"Fufu…!" Sho felt the almost invisible cringe of his chest's tenant, Kei. "See, Yukari-chan, Chibi-chan. I told you it's the eyes, the eyes! But these hooligans won't understand. Only ladies know how much a man's worth is anyway."

Kei whined a _'You're not a lady'_ but it was drowned by the spectacled red-head's screeching voice. "Shut up! Sasuke-kun is mine!" Based on the tone and the edge and the little sparks Sho could feel, he could say a one-sided glaring contest was happening even without looking.

"Ara~ My dear, it's good to share good stuff you know…" Feng teased. "Though it's not good when the stuff isn't yours to begin with. Hohoho!"

Boisterous laughter of someone Sho did not entirely know erupted. "Haha! Take dat, bitch!"

"Damatte! No one asked your opinion, Suigetsu!"

"I've come to really like ya, Nee-san! Show dat bitch what yer made of! Show'er! Show'er! Haha!"

Someone in the background sighed while the two continued to argue. "Really. I wonder how Sasuke-kun manages the two of them." It was Oryu. Sho could imagine how their 'Father' adjusts the spectacles in the bridge of his nose and how his shoulders slumped a little. It wasn't really surprising to hear Oryu wondering about things like that seeing that he was the one who regulates the harmony among them. See, when a group is made of a bunch of immature minds, chaos is bound to ensue. And it's the responsibility of the one most mature among them to regulate it.

"He freezes them with the show of his menace." It was the quiet giant, Juugo, who answered.

"Aha… well, I could grasp that."

Sho wondered why his tenant got so still. It wasn't in Kei's nature to be still in one place for a long period of time without even uttering a single word. "Oi, o-chibi. What's wrong?"

Keisuke looked up to him with big, round and curious golden eyes. Somehow, the movement made constrictions in his breathing.

_He's got a real heavy head to make me hitch a breath._

"Well, Suigetsu just said he likes Feng. Does that mean they're a couple now?"

"Baka. He said he's come to like her, but not in _that_ way." Sho glared at the obvious question mark hanging above Kei's white head. He scratched his face in thought of a good way to explain things. "You like Naruto, right?"

Keisuke nodded.

"You also like Oryu."

Another nod.

"Yukari? Feng?"

He nodded again.

"See? You like so many people. But that doesn't mean you're a couple. Simple liking doesn't give anyone the cut to be couples. A shallow thing like 'liking someone' doesn't even cover quarters of what 'loving someone' is. Sometimes, you don't even like a person because of bad habits or rotten personalities but you love them anyway. That's what it takes to form a deep and serious relationship."

Sho didn't like what he just said. In a way, he just justified the thing Naruto has with Sasuke. He just answered Kei's first question of what the blonde sees on that arrogant prick; and he doesn't like it one bit.

"It's like this: you don't always like the person you love and you don't always love the person you like." Feng sustained his explanation. "However, there are some who starts with simple 'like'. Sometimes, 'like' turns into 'love' in a matter of time. Sometimes it doesn't. So when a relationship is founded on 'like' alone and it doesn't turn into 'love', relationship crumbles overtime. But, well, one cannot be so sure. It is a complex thing after all."

Keisuke had a frown on his face the whole time. "Complex and complicated! I don't get it!"

"Fufu. When you start to have strong feelings you don't understand, then you'd know what I'm talking about."

"Would I get it too?" Yukari's soft voice asked. They didn't even know the girl was listening too.

"Well, who knows. Only time could tell. You don't have to rush though. We've got all the time we want after all."

…

Sasuke dodged a blade of wind sent his way. He has been practicing with Naruto since first thing in the morning in a small clearing near the cottage but he still hasn't landed even one hit on the blonde who was just sitting lazily atop a large rock. Naruto hasn't even moved on his sitting place ever since. Never mind that, Sasuke couldn't even take another step closer when he's just mere meters away.

Every time he's so close to reaching Naruto, a gush of violent wind would envelope the blonde and he would be sent back to his starting point. The blonde wasn't even doing hand seals but the wind still moves as if Naruto's mere thought was enough to get it going. If Sasuke could think more ridiculously, he'd say the wind really was protecting Naruto. Much like how Gaara's sand hover over him in even a slight possible danger.

_Che. What a troublesome defence. _

Another set of blade of wind was sent his way which he easily countered with a Katon.

"Heh. You're starting to read my moves huh. How about this?" Sasuke turned to where Naruto sat. Around the blonde, several compact wind, much like a small Rasengan gathers. It was so small, like a bead that Sasuke almost set his guard down if not for the fact that a small bead was sent his way so fast he barely moved. A quiet hiss and a thin almost non-existent smoke rose from where the bullet landed. Good thing it landed barely inches away from his feet.

"Rasengan?"

"Ah, well. It's not really Rasengan per se. It's just… how do I put it?" Naruto scrunched his face in thought, the usual face Sasuke knew very much when they were kids and Naruto gets caught up in some serious thinking. "Well, it's just wind you know. Wind that I contain in bead-like chakra compartment, but it's not Rasenshuriken. The chakra isn't swirling violently and in different ways, it's just… there. To contain it. Though I can still manipulate the shape once it's shot to increase its speed. And the wind is not in needle-like shapes, because that would be dangerous since it would attack chakra-channels. But these in itself is quite dangerous because of the speed. Or that's what Oryu said."

Sasuke's eye ticked. He was almost beginning to praise Naruto inside his mind for coming up with that kind of complicated explanation and it turns out those words came from Oryu's mouth. "I knew it."

"Hm? What did you know?"

"That you aren't capable of such complex things."

"Hey! It was me who invented these you know!" Naruto stood up, agitated. "Oryu just said that it's still dangerous even if it isn't needle-shaped! The rest was from me!"

"Hai, hai." Sasuke smirked when he saw Naruto's face flushed even more in anger. He was seriously amazed though, not that he would ever say it out loud.

Another bullet was sent his way and their practice continued. Sasuke saw this as an opportunity to practice his Amaterasu more. He needs to develop his reaction speed, lengthen the time before his eyes bleed, and make the flames burn fast. He didn't care if he's not strong enough to beat Naruto, but he has to become stronger. Stronger. Strong enough to make his clan's murderer tremble in fear.

Sasuke sliced through a bullet. Another step closer and the barrier of wind would appear. Before he could be sent flying backwards again, he grasped the hilt of Kusanagi, readying himself to strike once the wind appears. Sasuke's heart throbbed in anticipation, and when the wind gathered around Naruto, he slashed down and cut through the barrier. Only to be sent flying back again this time not by the wind but by the fire.

_Explosive seals?_

He stood up, barely breathing. It wasn't much but he could see his own improvement even if by a bit.

Sasuke's eyes focused on Naruto. There wasn't anything the blonde could have stuck the explosive seal around, not even a kunai which was the commonly used means for the seal on the ground.

"Ah. Sorry, I was surprised." Naruto scratched the back of his head. An overly familiar manner in Sasuke's eyes.

"I thought you're a wind affinity user?"

Naruto flashed him a sad smile. "I told you, didn't I? I'm becoming the Kyuubi." Realization came rushing over Sasuke like a waterfall.

_Kyuubi can control pretty much every element. And he's becoming the Kyuubi._

It was something hard to believe even for Sasuke. He thought he has pretty much absorbed the fact that Naruto is becoming the Kyuubi, but being shocked like this now clearly states that he didn't really comprehend what everything meant. Sasuke didn't think it meant inheriting even the power of Kyuubi. Only now that Sasuke realized how terrifying of a being Naruto is becoming all because of the Kyuubi. And the fact that a human holds so much power himself, for sure, would be enough for any nation to feel threatened. In a way, Sasuke could now understand why the blonde chose to stay away, hidden from any being. His existence alone can create another war.

The thought of another war made Sasuke inwardly cringe. That would mean more deaths, more children would become like him. Worse of all, Naruto would be the center of it all. Naruto would be the one suffering the most in the end knowing his personality.

"I see…" Sasuke whispered, not knowing Naruto could hear him even from that great distance. "That's why you're hiding out here."

The look in Naruto's face was enough to shake Sasuke. Once again, Naruto has that helpless look on him. Helplessness that shouldn't be felt by a person with so much power, but Sasuke understood why the blonde felt that way. Naruto has been alone ever since he was young, and it seems he is destined to be alone from here onwards because of the Kyuubi. "Well, I'm pretty much used to it anyway. Besides, I still have my friends with me."

Naruto suddenly froze, alerting Sasuke immediately. "Naruto?"

"Looks like we're going to have company."

...

"Hora, Shiro!" Keisuke's cheerful voice greeted the two as they walked towards the group. "Ah! Naru!"

Naruto barely prepared himself before two white blobs jumped him that he almost fell down his butt. "Keisuke, Shiro, not now okay?" He smiled as Keisuke looked up to him. "They're here."

Right after he said it, flocks of bandits around fifty or more emerged from the shadows of the forests from the general direction the two just came out. Each men were heavily suited with armours and weapons, by the looks of it, they were heading towards the village where Naruto frequents. He nervously laughed, "We barely made it in time Sasuke-teme."

"Hn." He received Sasuke's famous remark, though it was soon followed by a question. "How did you know?"

"Ah, I have enhanced senses. I heard them while we were at the clearing. They were travelling parallel to where we were, within my hearing range, so I knew it immediately." Naruto then turned back to his group. "Then, let's head over to the boulder shall we?"

Sasuke and his teammates watched as Naruto's group followed the blonde. To Suigetsu and Karin, it may have been a wonder why a group of five people would follow a kid like Naruto and frankly, Sasuke couldn't blame them. Ever since he knew Naruto, the blonde would always show an aura of 'stupidity'. As if he's an idiot not worth mentioning. But Sasuke also knew that Naruto would leak an aura of… something not 'stupid' or maybe even an aura of superiority from time to time. Especially when needed. Maybe that was also why he gained friends even when the adults would forbid their children from hanging around him.

Karin glanced at him, asking what to do which he only answered when he walked towards the blonde. He felt the hesitation between Karin and Suigetsu but they soon followed right after Juugo.

"Right here, right here! Sasuke-teme!" Naruto patted the space beside him. The blonde was sitting on the boulder Sasuke sat before during their first confrontation. Naruto's team were lined up in front of Naruto in a half-arc. However, before Sasuke could take another step closer to the blonde, Sho blocked his way and a staring contest ensued. Every time the curly-head would do something like this, Sasuke would be reminded of the words Naruto said the day at the market.

Sho claims to be in love with Naruto. And Sasuke didn't know why but he really hated that. So what could he do than to stare coldly to that sea weed head and send sharp projectiles of ice through his eyes. Two minutes or so later, Sho backed down and Sasuke claimed his seat beside Naruto right after smirking at Sho's direction.

"What do we have here?" A rough voice belonging to an equally rough man with rough looking moustache echoed throughout the area. In a distance, flocks of birds suddenly flew away in a hurry, leaving feathers behind. "Hey, boss, they look kind of well-off don'tcha think? Just look at those robes!"

Every eyes darted to where the 'Boss' was. It was a huge man sitting atop a horse. His skin was greyish pale and his eyes were hallowed. The hair was long and unkempt. Behind him, a long and thick sword much like Kisame's was strapped. All in all, it was the perfect bandit leader for normal people.

The Boss didn't need much of a persuation, he confidently raised his hand, waved it forward and half of the bandits behind him marched forward. "Spare the red-head to me."

"The one with the glasses?" One of the lanky looking guys asked all the while rubbing his hands together. Wrong question it seemed since the Boss's large sword acquainted itself with the guy's skinny neck.

"Do not insult my taste, you scumbag!"

The rough guy laughed. "It's definitely the red-head with the big B, idiots! Slay the other red-head. She's not worth it!"

"How rude!" Sasuke heard Karin's quiet remark along with Suigetsu's open laughter. He could hear muffled sounds and a little shaking coming from Naruto. Keisuke was on the same condition as the blonde, only Kei even hid behind Sho to hide his amusement more. Even the fox Shiro was wagging its tail while yelping. Looks like the fox had the same opinion as the rest.

Naruto cleared his throat. "So, who wants to enjoy?" Sho and Suigetsu immediately stepped forward without another word and the fight started with a cry of war from the bandits.

It would have been a one-sided slaughter if not for the fact that Sho purposely avoided striking the vitals and if Sasuke forgot to warn Suigetsu not to kill. It was a boring fight all in all, as if the two ninjas were just having an exercise. Little by little, the crowd of the bandits decreased until the Boss himself joined the scrimmage.

From where Sasuke sat, he could perfectly see the explosive seals the Boss was secretly scattering around. Explosive seals that Sasuke bets as stolen goods from fallen ninjas or bought from the black market. Either way, someone was going to be hurt when caught with that.

"Tsk tsk." Sasuke turned in time to see the look on Naruto's face he has never seen before. His naturally slanted eyes were sharp but the rest of his face remained impassive. It was a cold stare, something Sasuke thought that the blonde never used. It was something he thought only he could do. He was greatly mistaken. "Keisuke. Looks like Boss doesn't need his hands anymore. Put a hole in it."

Sasuke waited for Oryu's lecture, but he was surprised when he heard none. He looked down to where Naruto's group was to see each and everyone having the same look as Naruto.

"Someone who doesn't care whatever happens to his subordinates isn't fit to have such loyal subordinates." Just as Naruto said that, something materialized in Keisuke's hands. A shiny metallic bow and two arrows.

The kid held the bow in his left hand while the other stretched the string along with the arrows. Everything seemed to have quieted down as Sasuke anticipated the release of the weapon. Keisuke shot the arrows towards the sky, and Sasuke would have laughed at the zero chance of any of the arrows hitting if not for the fact that the Boss cried out in pain. Sasuke immediately activated his Sharingan and sure enough, both of the arrows landed perfectly on each of the Boss's hands.

On the sideline, Karin watched in mixture of wonder and shock as the metallic bow materialized out of thin air until the arrows hit the target. If the kid has that much of a talent and the pretty boy has that much of a combat skill, what about the older ones? More importantly…

Karin looked up to the two people sitting on top of the boulder. Sasuke looked impassive as ever while the blonde annoyance has that stupid grin of his on his foxy face. He looks stupid, he acts stupid, he feels stupid and he doesn't have much of a chakra compared to Sasuke and the others.

It's true that the group has an amazing amount of chakra though not much compared to Sasuke's. So the most important question is: why would they follow someone weaker than them? Why would the five of them follow Naruto?

* * *

><p>ahh.. i'm so fucking tired. fights between me and my dad are common, makes me really want to be on my own, but i'm thinking of my mom so i'm still here, enduring and hating every fucking minutes of it.<p>

anyway, reviews people. please? thanks.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Naruto splashed himself a bucket full of water at the garden. He has just finished the training with Sasuke for the morning and they were finally getting a break. Seriously though, Naruto could honestly say that the Teme has been improving in a terrifying speed that Naruto has to watch out his control for the automatic defence system of his elements in fear of getting Sasuke seriously injured. He also had to maintain a certain amount of power in his attacks, something he hasn't told Sasuke but something the raven surely already knows.

Control was something difficult in nature, but their training together has been good to him. It wasn't only Sasuke who has been improving, even he was also getting good in control of his element.

Like what everyone knew, he has a chakra with wind affinity. It enabled him to create Wind Release Techniques. However, things are different now. Just as he has said to Sasuke, he is becoming the Kyuubi. They weren't just simply merging because the Kyuubi is dying, and if the Kyuubi dies, he dies too. No, it wasn't as simple as that. The Kyuubi's existence has started ceasing the moment he tapped into its chakra, making it his own. Yondaime's seal was meant to work that way, but a small miscalculation in Naruto's father's part tore everything of Naruto's life away.

Fire was Kyuubi's nature, making it Naruto's second element. It was like Naruto held Wind on his right hand, Fire on his left. However, Kyuubi also held control over the other elements. When Kyuubi attacked seventeen years ago, lightning came pouring down from the heavens. Level of waters increased that could drown an entire village. Mountains came crumbling down and the ground split in so many parts.

Now, everything Kyuubi had is dancing within Naruto's hands. What would he do with this power? Everyone who sought after power thought it was so great, that they would have everything in their reach. In a way, they were right about having everything within range. However, nothing good ever comes from something once it has become excessive. In reality, what Naruto has in his hands now is both a blessing and a curse.

Power such as this should never reach human knowledge. Something like this would undoubtedly create another war. People would seek him out, innocent lives would be sacrificed, war would break throughout the world. And he would be caught in the middle of it all.

He doesn't blame his father though. Yondaime did the seal in him in thought that doing so would greatly help him. Even if doing the seal was like sealing Naruto's fate eternally. No one could have thought that nothing was as it appears to be. Especially when it comes to Kyuubi.

Minato surely is crying to where he is now as he watches over him and the situation unfolds. For sure, the old man is blaming himself to what he did to his own son, knowing that it wasn't just the chakra that transferred to him, even Kyuubi's memories. Memories worth two thousand years or even more starting from the very start of the world's existence.

A year ago, Kyuubi has made its grand appearance when Naruto had nowhere else to go and no idea what to do. Kyuubi guided him. Naruto thought it was such a surprise and also impossible for the thought-to-be-mass-of-hatred Kyuubi to help him. Kyuubi said its showing up (it because it doesn't have a gender, although it likes to appear as a female) was a little late than scheduled. From then on, heaps of truth and secrets came to Naruto's knowledge. Things any human wasn't supposed to know, but he learned anyway.

Kyuubi said it was such a misfortune in having Naruto experience things people weren't supposed to experience in the first place.

Naruto was constantly baffled at the first month of his banishment because of Kyuubi. From the way it looks inside his mind changing to the way it talks to the things it held inside his mind.

However, the power and the memories transferring to him is not the whole of it. Truths and secrets that no one should have known are now kept inside his mind.

Through this all, Naruto could just conclude that nothing in what people knows about the Kyuubi is enough nor any of it true. What people knew about Kyuubi could be compared to looking at the outer skin of an onion.

Naruto took a deep breath as he looked up to the sky.

_Anyway, I'm still not lost._

Gentle breeze caressed his scarred face and with it brought a whiff of familiar scent. He looked at where his wind came from, and sure enough, he could make out a mass of curly hair lying on the distance. He walked towards the stoic Sho.

"What are you doing about lazing around here?" He asked the boy as he sat beside him, but Sho just stared at him with half-lidded eyes.

A moment of silence commenced.

Contrary to what his friends in Konoha believed, Naruto wasn't always noisy. He was in fact only doing the 'noisy' and 'stupid' act to entertain himself with people's reaction – it was a secret of his own. He hid the fact that he also liked silence as much as he liked liveliness. No one knew that he quite liked reading. No one knew that he was learning seals and its complexities from his father's very own scroll from keeping the hostility of him at bay. He hid the fact that he could understand the things the academy taught quite easy because of the same reason.

Not that he learned much from the academy. No one would teach him proper things in fear of him becoming stronger. Another reason he studied by himself in secret. So he was fairly surprised to have Jiraiya teach him of the Sage techniques. Well, the people of Konoha didn't even want him to learn anything and be a shinobi. So he purposely failed the graduation exams three times.

However, the old Sandaime-jiiji saw through all of his acts when he stole the Forbidden Scroll under Mizuki's orders. The old fart knew immediately that he purposely leaked his chakra out for Iruka to locate him, capturing Mizuki in the end.

Next to know of his true nature was Jiraiya, mainly because of their travelling together. Then there was Tsunade, the old hag instantly knew of his secret the very first day they have spent together. Well, it wasn't really that what the other people knew of him was a lie. He just hid his 'logical' side to give way for his playfulness.

Upon knowing Oryu and the others though, he started to be himself more and more. He got angry when he was, show his pissed off side whenever he felt so, read when he felt like it, be quiet when he's in the mood. Sides he couldn't show in front of the others. Anyway, who would be cheerful all the hours of the day, every day of the week? Certainly not him, no matter what other people thought.

"Why?" Sho's quiet mumbling caught back his attention.

"Hm?"

Sho sat up and grabbed his hand. Silvery blue eyes strike through his own cerulean, and Naruto was rendered motionless. "…why is it Sasuke?" Naruto could hear the strain in the other boy's voice. Sho's brows were even scrunched in frustration, though his face showed complete helplessness. "What do you see in a bastard like him? He has already hurt you enough."

To say that Naruto was shocked was not enough to describe what he felt. Not once has it crossed his mind that Sho, the quiet detached kind of guy, would be the one to confront him. At best, he thought it would be Keisuke who would explode first, seems he was wrong.

As if the magic has been broken, Naruto looked away from those eyes trying to captivate him and released his hand from Sho's grip. A chuckle unintentionally escaped his lips in consideration of Sho's question.

"'Why Sasuke' huh. I guess you guys would wonder about that." Cerulean eyes looked up to the same cerulean vast sky. Clouds scattered here and there, painting the blue sky blobs of white. The wind was picking up, sending different coloured leaves dancing around them. Naruto closed his eyes, trying to imprint the image in his memory.

"You know, Sasuke is, well…" His hands combed back his blonde locks. "Maa, you're right about him being a bastard, that's for sure."

Naruto folded his knees and hugged it close to his chest, preparing himself as memories flooded through him when he was young, and all the feelings he had during every second of it. He contemplated for a while whether to tell the story to Sho or not, but decided that perhaps Sho would better off knowing what happened in his youthful days.

"When I was seven, I saw a girl not like the rest. She stood up from all of my classmates, and I thought she looked like a flower. But when I saw a boy sitting alone on the bridge, I had this thought _'why the hell is he damned more beautiful than the girl?'_ And then that boy looked at me. His deep black eyes pinned me on the spot, you know, no matter how much of a cliché that is." Laughter escaped his lips.

"When I was young, I remember very well how my heart would skip a beat whenever my pranks are discovered by Iruka. I remember so well the rush flowing in my blood in every troubles I'd get myself into, the throb of every veins in my head, but when I saw that boy sitting on the bridge… My stupid seven-year-old self didn't even notice I stopped breathing altogether. That was where everything started." A smile graced his features as he remembered everything that happened back then.

"Little by little, the boy started to enter my line of sight. Of course, for a kid, it wasn't something to be worked upon. That is until one day, all I could see was him. I saw the way he would always stand farthest away from people, the way he didn't like getting in contact with anyone, and the way he struggles everyday to obtain the strength he needed. He has such a firm focus that he didn't see anything else. I saw him and what he was doing and it pretty much annoyed the hell out of me! I thought it was so damn strange even when I didn't know what was what by the time. So, I did what my seven-year-old self could do to handle the situation – I declared war against him!"

Sho watched as different emotions passed across Naruto's face. He listened very well to every words those pale lips uttered, even if each of it was like a poisoned needle seeping through his skin, making him undeniably crazy. He has known Naruto for a year, and not once has he seen the boy show so much emotion in one go and it irks him to know that only Sasuke's existence can cause this kind of display.

"I fought and fought with him, trying relentlessly to cover up what was going on inside me. Until one day, when I turned ten or eleven, I finally couldn't stand it so I told Iruka what was happening. Oh, the horror in his face!" Naruto laughed at the memory of his old sensei's scandalized face. "I asked him why it felt so painful in here," he gestured on his chest, "yet I feel fluttery every time I see that boy. I asked him why I felt like suffocating whenever I see the boy's face contort in concentration. I asked him, _'why do I feel a stabbing right here when he brushes me off?' _I asked Iruka if there was something wrong with me, if I was sick or something. Well, what do you expect from such a small child."

"And then, Iruka told me to focus on someone else, a girl if possible so I did. I bugged the hell out of the second beautiful person, Sakura! You should have seen her face! It was such a laugh!" Naruto stretched his feet out as he leaned his weight on his arms resting against the ground behind him. "But no matter how I hover her, a single word from Sasuke would always avert my attention crawling back to him. Then he'd say hurtful things or challenging words. Heh. That's the kind of bastard he was. Still is."

Sho unconsciously grabbed Naruto's arm, tightening his grip painfully without even knowing it. "Then why? If you know what kind of person he is, why do you still care for him?"

Naruto stared at him with a bitter smile. "Because that's not all there is to him… he has shown me a side of him he has never shown to anyone. He was my very first friend, the very first to acknowledge me as me and not as the Kyuubi."

The hand tightly squeezing Naruto's arm slowly loosened until nothing in its grasp was left but the wind. "But that's not the reason why it's him, Sho. I don't even know_ why_ it's him…"

Naruto looked down, the haunting smile still plastered on his face, and Sho be damned if he didn't notice the way the blonde's voice shook for a second. "I know. I know he has thrown me away several times and I know he would leave me someday. He's a bastard that way. But I don't know why! I don't know why it's _him_. _Why_ it's still him."

Trembling hands grabbed Sho's shirt unconsciously and shining sky blue eyes looked up to his own silvery blue, searching, as if he could see the answer he was looking for since long ago. "My heart. My heart won't stop, Sho. It wouldn't stop from squeezing every time he's near. I could feel the violent turmoil in my insides whenever we're inches apart and it sometimes feel unpleasant, but it hurts whenever he's not around and I can't do anything to stop it! I tried to put an end to it a long time ago, believe me I did. But just a sight of him, any reminder of him, would start the gears of the feelings I desperately tried to hide rolling again."

Then, as if something suddenly clicked inside the blonde's head, Naruto laughed and stood up in embarrassment, his hands releasing the clothes he crumpled inside his hold. He looked down and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Sho. I don't know how to answer your question. I just… love him."

…

"You, curly-head, are such an idiot." Keisuke laid his head on Sho's stomach. The sun has long set but Sho still lay on the same spot, barely even moving. Kei knew that the other boy would come back to them given just a little time, but without any reason at all, his feet has brought him here to Sho. Since he was already here and all, he figured he'd make the curly-head so mad he'd forget about what happened earlier that morning.

"Go away."

"Yada." It wasn't that Kei was eavesdropping or anything, but he knew Sho enough to know that the guy would brood the most over something concerning Naruto.

The two of them always fought with each other over little things, that's the truth. However, Kei doesn't have the heart to tell Sho what was on his mind, what he sees with his own eyes, what everyone could clearly see except for Sho himself.

Sho claimed that he's in love with Naruto, and all of them respects that. That in itself was a reason why Kei couldn't tell Sho. Kei doesn't have the slightest idea what love is or what people in love feels or why people go crazy because of it and conquer impossible things for the person they love. He doesn't know anything about it and frankly speaking, he doesn't have even a tiny bit of desire to experience it himself. Through the years he has lived, he saw how the thing people call 'love' come and go, and Keisuke doesn't need anything so short-lived. He doesn't need someone who would leave him at the end of the day, so he say _'No, thank you'. _

Yes, it's true he doesn't know anything about love but he has observed the people around him. And Kei couldn't tell Sho what he sees. He couldn't say how in his eyes, Sho looked exactly the same as Oryu when it comes to worrying of Naruto. How Sho looks the same as him whenever the curly-head would ramble about Sasuke Uchiha not worthy enough of Naruto. Kei couldn't exactly say how Sho's eyes looks the same as the rest of them when he looks at the blonde, how it's not the same with the change in Sasuke's eyes whenever the Uchiha would watch another stupid display of their blonde. How for a year they have spent together, Keisuke hasn't heard anything from Sho's mouth concerning 'love' except _'Uchiha Sasuke is not good enough for Naruto since the bastard has already tried to kill the blonde more than once'._

Looking from the side lines for the past few days, Keisuke could see clearly the difference in Sho's eyes compared to how Naruto looks at Sasuke when the raven wasn't looking. Keisuke couldn't really understand, but he knew it was different. It was fairly easy to see when one is not involved in the scrimmage. But he couldn't tell Sho all of that. Oryu and Feng forbade him and Yukari from doing so.

"Stop that, idiot!" Kei almost jumped from shock when Sho suddenly snapped at him. He totally didn't notice how he rubbed his head left and right against Sho's stomach while his mind was occupied with thoughts.

"Yada!" He continued what he was doing, just a bit more so. "Curly-head~ aren't you going inside? You look kinda pathetic laying here and all, not that I'm complaining with you making a fool out of yourself."

"Stupid old man, go inside if you want to and don't bug me."

"But~ I won't have anyone to insult if you're not there."

"Yaro…"

"You're the bastard, remember?"

"Then you're the stupid."

"Hah! Look who looks stupid now!"

"Damn you…"

"Baka! Baka!"

"Shut up. You're annoying."

"Oh? Don't worry, the feeling is mutual."

"Smart-ass."

"Thank you! I know I'm smart!"

"Che."

"What the? No come back? That's so lame."

"Excuse me for being lame, girly-boy."

"I'm not a girly-boy."

"You are, too."

"I'm not! I just so happen to have this kind of appea… rance… Sho…?" Keisuke wondered how he got there. Somewhere in the middle of their usual bickering, Sho has sneakily grabbed his arm and now, he got trapped inside Sho's embrace.

Kei wondered if Sho hid a weapon between them because there was something poking at his chest. However, he was sure the stabbing didn't come from the outside, but from the inside crawling a way out. Maybe because Sho was hugging him _tight_ that Kei found himself having a hard time to breathe, as if Naruto's wind suddenly choked his lungs. Maybe it's because of that stupid Sho hugging him _so tight_ that he felt so warm now. Maybe the painful rapid beating of his heart was because he could barely _breathe_. But the hug definitely has nothing to do with his now upset stomach. He wondered if the waves in his stomach was because of something he ate earlier. After all, everyone knows he is a glutton.

"Uh…" Small pathetic whine escaped Keisuke's lips. He couldn't stand the heat and the suffocation, but Sho wasn't letting him go. The waves in his stomach was so violent he could get knocked down to the ground, so he grabbed Sho's shirt and closed his eyes, willing the waves to calm down and wishing he didn't eat whatever the something it was he ate earlier that caused this terrible stomach ache. "Stupid Sho…" He whispered. "I can't breathe…"

"Just for a while, Kei." Sho whispered directly to his ears. The hot breathe tickling his skin that got him flinching and his eyes watered. "Just for a while…"

…

Oryu placed his cup of tea at the kitchen's window sill, all the while shaking his head in frustration. Feng's boisterous, ungraceful laugh erupted, surprising Yukari along with Sasuke's teammates who were all having their dinner. The kitchen was fairly small, just enough for six people so they took their meals by batch. Whoever comes first eats first, or they could go eat at the living room.

Feng cleared her throat. "I mean, hohohoho!" She corrected, and though the other occupants of the room were crept out, they continued eating their dinner. When Feng was sure they weren't listening anymore, she continued. "They're idiots, aren't they?"

Oryu's eyes darted outside where the supposed 'idios' are. It was Sho and Keisuke in their act of innocent hug, oblivious to their eyes. Well, it's not like Oryu and Feng purposely peeked to whatever was happening to the two boys. It just so happened that the brats chose to display their act to where someone could see from the kitchen window. That's right, Oryu and Feng were just talking when they accidentally saw Sho grabbed Kei for a hug. Actually, they didn't know the boys were out there, probably because Sho and Keisuke were lying down the grass. But Sho just had to sit up, taking Kei with him, thus publicly displaying their show.

"Fufu… how long do you think it would take for those oblivious brats to notice?" He could almost touch the almost tangible amusement seeping through Feng's voice.

Oryu didn't know what the woman meant. He didn't know if she was talking about the fact that someone could see them hug. Or if Feng was talking about _when_ the two boys would notice the dormant feelings so obvious in everybody else's eyes.

_Maybe both._

…

The next day, Yukari was surprised to have Keisuke coming to her, asking for a check-up if there was something wrong with his health.


	9. Chapter 8

**Thank you for those who went their way to give a review. I was so happy despite my frustrating work life. :) so here's for thanks.**

**Chapter 8:**

Karin frustratedly bit her nails. It was a habit she actually didn't notice before until Suigetsu bitched about it, but she doesn't have the slightest interest of stopping her mannerism especially when it annoys Suigetsu greatly. However, right now, they had more important matters at hand. She and her group mates minus Sasuke were all sitting by the lake, wondering when they would leave. So many days has passed since they came here and there's still no slightest hint from Sasuke that they would be leaving soon.

Truth be told, Karin doesn't have anything against living peacefully with Sasuke no matter where, no matter what they're doing. She would follow him through the end of the world when he says so. Right now, they also have the ideal place to stay. Unbelievably, they even get along with the people living there. Even Suigetsu the idiotic bastard fools around with them. The group feeds them without any question with the exchange of doing household chores equally.

It should have been perfect. However, there is one thing Karin cannot forgive, making the supposedly good place stink like sewers. And just thinking about it makes her blood boil in blood lust and murder.

"How long…" Karin shakily whispered. "How long do you think we're going to stay here?"

"That's something for Sasuke to decide." It was Juugo's voice that answered her, momentarily snapping her out of the mad reverie. Juugo's thick fingers played with the bird perched on his shoulders, something Karin and probably even Suigetsu wonders how it's possible. "Though, with Naruto around, I doubt leaving would be any time soon. And frankly, I don't have anything against it."

Warm and thick surface trailed down Karin's mouth. Something that must have been blood from her fingers due to too much biting, though she doesn't care anyway. A frown wrinkled her face.

_That's right. It would have been perfect if not for that blonde bitch!_

Ever since they came here, Karin noticed how the blonde bitch would look at Sasuke whenever he thought no one was there to see. She's not blind, everyone must have seen too, and the most annoying part is no one was talking about it! It was such a disgusting sight to see. How a boy looks like that to another boy! It was so sickening. But what's worse though doesn't even spell a slightest pinch of the word disgusting every time she sees the annoying bitch try and seduce her Sasuke-kun. With every little chance he gets, he would stick like a damn leech on Sasuke.

She couldn't take it! She couldn't take how with every advances the blonde annoyance makes, Sasuke would be a little bit swayed! Being a childhood friend or even best friend wouldn't even justify the horrible acts the bitch tries to seduce Sasuke to. She can't have it. She cannot allow Sasuke to be tainted by something as disgusting as that.

_Ahh… I have to clean up any unworthy shit hovering my Sasuke-kun._

"Kukuku…"

Suigetsu watched Karin's face distort in an ugly sight. Her eyes are almost popping out, irises reduced to dots. The girl has that crazy look on her face again that she has whenever she screams bloody murder, and Suigetsu has a pretty good idea why.

He sighed. Not that he cares about the devil bitch anyway.

"We can't have it, can we? Kuku." Karin talked blankly staring at the ground, her teeth clipping her nails off bit by bit. "We have to help my Sasuke-kun to achieve his goal. And we don't want any distraction, right? We have to kill anything that stands in our way. Isn't that how we always were? And the idiot blonde is hindering my Sasuke-kun's dreams, so us, as Sasuke-kun's teammates, must help him wipe of that blonde bitch off existence!"

_Manipulative bitch._

"Che. Bitch! Yer fuckin stinkin jeal'sy 's creepin' out all the way'ere!"

Karin glared at him. "How dare –"

"An'way," He scratched his ears, purposely cutting off what the girl was going to say in annoyance of the girl's squeaky voice. "I don' fuckin' care, either way. I'm jus' itchin' for some gushin' blood!"

…

Suigetsu took a deep breath. They were hiding behind the trees a small distance from the clearing where they felt Naruto was, though he was sure Juugo wouldn't participate in their surprise attack. Truthfully, he wasn't fond of surprise attacks either. He prefers to head on the enemy face to face than this act of cowardice, but Karin started to bitch like no tomorrow. To his annoyance and just to shut her up, he agreed.

He peeked through the tree he was hiding at and saw the blonde sitting calmly on a huge rock. The blonde must have been training alone since they couldn't find Sasuke anywhere. Suigetsu knows, he noticed how the two got quite inseparable since they came here. As far as he knows, the two were childhood friends and best friends, but the thing going on between the two really is something more. And everyone knows of it, probably except for the two. For all they know, the two could have been acting just the way they used to before they got separated.

However, the real shock for him is to see Sasuke acting like that. The cold-hearted jerk who would kill anyone his way, even his own teammates, would act like a totally normal quiet type of guy. All the time they have travelled together, he only saw Sasuke smirk whenever he was fighting someone strong enough; and that was the closest thing to a smile. Since they came here, well, Sasuke remained pretty much the same cold jerk but he would see the guy smile and laugh quietly from time to time whenever he's with Naruto. The cold guy who doesn't like anyone stepping inside his personal space much less physical contact would allow Naruto the privilege Karin was longing for.

_An'da damn guy sleeps damn well too in front o' da blondie when he woulda crack op'n one eye in da slightest soun' when we're still travelin!_

It just shows how deep the two has gone through together and the bond they have that probably ran deeper the more time passed even when apart. Unlike Karin though, he hasn't got anything against that. Sasuke could do whatever the hell he wants with Naruto, and personally, he hasn't really got anything against the blonde. They actually got along together with the jokes and the pranks, along with the white haired brat and the noisy little white fox.

There is only one reason why he chose to go with Karin's plan. He just really wanted to have some kind of action. Besides, he was kind of wondering why the hell someone like Yukari and Sho would follow the blonde with no form of complain whatsoever. Not to mention Oryu who looks stiffly scary. It doesn't look like they were being blackmailed or something, and if ever they could just kill Naruto off and finish everything once and for all. But every single one of them looks as if they were following Naruto on their own.

A group of five strong people gathered together under the blonde. How could that be possible? According to Karin, the others' chakra amount is greater than Naruto but nothing compared to Sasuke. That considered, Suigetsu thought maybe the saving grace of each member is the fact that they have some weird techniques. Still, something like that should be enough if they want to break free of Naruto's grasps.

Anyway, he just wants to see for himself why they can't seem to leave Naruto behind and why the blonde seems to be the leader of five strong individuals when he himself has lesser chakra amount.

Suigetsu looked back at the blonde in time to see his yawn.

_How long were we hidin'?_

"You bunch…" He unvoluntarily flinched when Naruto suddenly called out to them. "How long are you going to hide there? If you're not coming out, I'm going to leave now."

It was Karin who came out first followed by him and Juugo. "Did you know we're here from the beginning?" She asked.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Eh… Pretty much. So? You got something for me?"

"Don't fuck with me!" Karin's scream echoed, enough to have shaken the forest. Silence reigned over them for a moment, and from Naruto's reaction, it wasn't just the forest that shook. Even the blonde did, and he was covering his ears desperately. "Don't you dare deny what filth you've been doing. Being Sasuke-kun's childhood friend does not earn you the right to seduce him! We won't let you!"

The look in Naruto's face was priceless. He was really shocked to the point where his mouth was hanging open. "The hell? Seduce him?"

"Damatte!" The girl yelled, and frankly speaking, Suigetsu was getting annoyed by it. If he really wasn't itching for a fight with the blonde, he would have beheaded the girl for being too noisy for her own damn good. "How thick can you get? You don't even want to admit how you try to lure Sasuke-kun? How you obviously try to corrupt his innocence? You beast!"

Suigetsu watched as the girl rashly attacked the blonde with a kunai. He looked at Juugo questionably but the giant just shrugged and quietly watched the girl rush forward so he opted to do the same. He stabbed his sword to the ground and leaned on its hilt.

"Oi, oi!" Naruto whined as he intercepted Karin's kunai with his own, a kunai Suigetsu doesn't know where came from since Naruto doesn't wear a kunai pouch. "Did I just hear a sexual innuendo there?"

Suigetsu snorted when he heard that. Leave it to Karin to say something stupid.

"Why? Isn't that what you want from him? That's all you beasts ever want from him! And I won't let you! I will protect his innocence! I won't let you get your filthy hands on him!" Their conversation continued as well as their Kunai confrontation. Or more like Karin continuously attacked the blonde while the blonde just stood there, on the same spot. That got Suigetsu standing properly, his face frowned in concentration.

_Can't be! Da kid's been standin' on da same damned huge rock ev'r since an' he hasn' even moved a feet!_

"Excuse me?" Naruto exasperated. "Are you sure you're talking about me and not you?"

Suigetsu laughed at that, momentarily pushing back the thing he just thought of. Quiet laugh from beside him got him looking back to Juugo and indeed, it was the giant who was laughing along with him.

"Such insolence!" He heard Karin screeched, making him and Naruto wince. The birds perched on Juugo's shoulders also flapped their wings in surprise and mild discomfort. "You really are something, aren't you? Pushing your sins on other people as easy as that. Unforgivable!"

The girl jumped in mid-air once again, sending projectiles to Naruto who easily deflected them using only one Kunai. When she landed, she headed once again for a direct hit. The cycle continued.

"Hai, hai. Anyway, aren't you a chakra tracker? Then why can't you see my chakra?" Suigetsu frowned, wondering what the blonde meant by his question.

"Oh? I can see your chakra well, thank you. And it's nothing compared to the greatness of my Sasuke-kun's!" Their kunais clashed.

"Heh. You can't sense my chakra huh. I guess I'm getting good at controlling it now." The amused twinkle in Naruto's eyes must have set Karin into a fouler mood since the girl screeched out a _'Damn! Suigetsu!'_.

Suigetsu grinned, and it probably almost reached his ears. He quickly stood up, grabbing his sword in the process and joined in the fray. "Wohooo!"

…

Naruto put his free arm behind him and secretly materialized a kunai. After making sure he had his grasp firm on the hilt, he used it to block the coming attack from Suigetsu. The deal he got from the liquefied man was much stronger than Karin's, sending Naruto a few paces away from his spot.

"Hah! I fin'lly made ya move from where ya stood!"

He looked back at the huge rock he was previously occupying. It's not like he purposely stood there without moving. As a matter of fact, he did it unconsciously and almost reflexively since he and Sasuke has been doing that kind of training for a while. Anyway, at least it made Suigetsu feel a sense of achievement, making him laugh heartily – something he wouldn't have done when he was younger. Looks like Kyuubi's personality plus his own original ones blended perfectly together that he almost felt like an old man. "Maa, you guys are pretty strong you know. And it's two against one."

Attacks continued coming from either side of him, and so was their conversation. "Haha! Wari, Naruto! No hard feelin's alrigh'? It's not like I agree with that red-head bitch, I jus' really wan' to spar with ya."

"Baka yaro! Don't get cosy with him! He's a beast!"

Naruto and Suigetsu sent each other meaningful glances. The blonde would have laughed at the obvious rolling of eyes in Suigetsu's part if they weren't in the midst of fighting. Well, actually, he sensed the killing intent from the spectacled red-head so he was partly serious. Not like he can injure them, they have become his friends in a way.

He wouldn't lie to himself and say he doesn't know where Karin's hatred was coming from. He knows perfectly well the girl has feelings for Sasuke, and he knows damn well what he meant by what she has said. What he doesn't understand though was why she would get so jealous of him – he who is a boy. It's not like he really was seducing Sasuke as what Karin not so subtly said. He just actually missed the bastard so much that he wants to spend almost ever day, every minute with him and close to him. He likes the warmth he could feel from Sasuke, because he damn well knows that a day would come when he wouldn't be allowed to be here anymore, to be with him.

Why would Karin be jealous of him when in fact he was the one envious of people who could be with Sasuke? Yes, he was envious because he could never have Sasuke. He could never be the one for Sasuke to look into with loving eyes, he could never be the one for him to spend his whole life with; because he's a boy first and foremost, and they cannot be together. Especially with his circumstances.

A day would come when he would have to watch Sasuke leave, and he wouldn't be able to have anything to do but just watch.

"You dare to try and take him when you're just a lowly monster." Karin's voice resonated inside his head. "Can't you see how far off he is from your reach? You're just a boy! And a fucking monster!"

_I know! I know!_

"You're stopping Sasuke-kun to achieve what he wants and finish what he started! You're nothing but an eyesore, a fucking annoyance blocking his way!"

_Damnit! I fucking know!_

Naruto got so lost inside his thoughts he forgot to control himself. Violent gush of wind knocked Karin and Suigetsu meters from him. The ground shook, resonating with his anger. Tornados formed, destroying everything on its way. Heavens hovering above their heads considerably darkened, sparks of lightning illuminates the skies just as roars of thunder echoes throughout. His body caught on red flames. Everything around him was in chaos just as his heart and mind was. But Naruto did not notice any of it. He wasn't even aware how his chakra flared and how he must have looked like in front of Karin's eye.

"**Kit, hold your self together! Do you want them to die?"** Kyuubi's familiar voice broke through the chaos inside his mind, and he was once again inside his mind, in front of Kyuubi's female human form that was shaking him to consciousness.

The place where Kyuubi resides changed dramatically from a dark sewer to a bright, white room. It looks like a normal room with a white fluffy bed, bookshelves adorning a wall, study table beside the bed and a chair. It also has a window beside the bed, curtained with see through fabric flapping violently because of the weather outside. Naruto could perfectly see the darkness outside the window, the lightning striking down, the heavy storm, violent wind. It was the window of his emotions. Usually, just strong wind would plague outside the window when he's feeling chaotic, drizzle when he's feeling melancholy, thunderous with lots of lightning when he's mad. But now, even the whole room was in tremors.

That was how bad he felt inside.

"_Sorry, Kyuubi…" _He looked at the woman with silver hair and golden eyes. She looks just like Keisuke and one would probably mistake them as mother and child if one could see Kyuubi inside his head. Royal robes clothed her body, and she looked ethereal just the way she is.

Kyuubi caressed his cheek and wiped off a single track of tear before smiling that kind smile of hers, a smile a mother would probably give her child. A smile his mother would probably show him if she's alive. **"I have stabled your chakra now, but you have to calm down and make this bad weather stop."**

He did as he was told. **"Good boy." **She kissed her forehead. **"Now, I would very much like you to stay and have a chat with me but you need to go out there. I can only hold your chakra for a short time in my weakened state. And only you can save your friends from your own hands, do you hear?"**

He nodded and smiled when Kyuubi grabbed him for a warm hug. _"Thanks, Kyuu…"_

Naruto opened his eyes and was instantly aware of his ragged breathing. His hands were covering his face and he was crouched down the ground. He took a few more deep breath before standing up. The ground was in chaos. Good thing it was the only thing deformed since they were standing on a clearing. It had been difficult for him to control his chakra fuelled by emotions since his transformation was coming near to completion. So really, his training with Sasuke did a lot of good help to him.

He slowly picked up his hand and swished his hand, effectively evening out the ground. His eyes darted back to the two Taka members who were now sitting dumbly on the ground, Karin shaking in fear and Suigetsu just… stunned. A good deal of guilt crawled under him looking at them and he was about to say sorry when he heard group of people shuffling a good distance from them, inside his hearing range.

"Oryu, Feng, Sho, Yukari, Kei." He called out to his friends he knew were secretly watching since the beginning. The look of shock and disbelief on Karin's face told him much how she didn't expect them to be there. Meaning they have considerably hidden their chakras from her. What he couldn't grasp though was why the girl did not feel the last one's presence. Must have been because she was so focused on him solely. "Group of ninjas are coming our way. They'd be here in about ten to fifteen minutes."

His friends' faces were instantly on alert. "Oryu, this clearing is sealed right?"

"Hai."

Naruto breathed in relief. At least he wouldn't have to worry about someone outside this clearing sensing his chakra, so the ninjas on their way must have came across them purely accidental. "Okay. We should get going now, please help Suigetsu will you? And Feng, please do the same with Karin, she's probably shaken up. Shiro," He called out to the little white fox and it yelped. "Search the house for any of my belongings and put it inside my room if there is any. Do the same for Sasuke and his team's things and hide it inside my room." The fox did a final yelp before disappearing in a white flash.

"Well, then, shall we go?" Oryu urged everyone to go back inside the cabin.

Naruto sighed. "You too, Sas…" He called out to the last person in hiding. The dark-haired boy was instantly standing right beside him and they ran back to the cabin.

"Hn, I thought you forgot about me."

"Oh, please. How can I forget you? You've been there since the beginning. You even have the guts to laugh when you heard about that sexual innuendo." Naruto whined like normal, making Sasuke laugh again remembering Naruto's reaction.

"Huh, you heard me?" Sasuke teased.

"Bastard, you know you were in my hearing range." Sasuke saw how Naruto tried to act normal, but he couldn't help but steal a glance or two to the blonde haired boy who was so painfully and obviously distressed from all of the things Karin has said.

Sasuke sighed. "Don't worry about what she said."

"It's true though."

Sasuke stopped mid-tracks, pulling Naruto along with him by the arm. Both of them stood there, quiet, unmoving, waiting, but Naruto wouldn't look at Sasuke. He unconsciously tipped Naruto's chin up carefully to face him and meet his faze. The moment he had Naruto's attention all to him, he was made instantly aware of how close they were. Strange tingles tickled the lower part of his torso, as if numerous wings flap inside trying to break free but couldn't, elevating him instead.

He gulped down that something that suddenly tried to choke him. "…hey." His whisper sounded unbelievably gentle and his thumb involuntarily traced the line of Naruto's lips. "I'm not leaving."

He still has a mission to do, but it could probably wait. Until Naruto comes with him, until Naruto understands that he has to do it, until Naruto gets fine. Until then, he could wait. But he won't leave without the blonde. He has denied him far longer than he could remember, and now that he has started to appreciate the smiles they share, the touches, the embraces, the moments, he wouldn't let it slip his hand off again. Not when he has known, felt the difference between a life with and without the blonde.

Naruto smiled at him, a sad knowing smile. And Sasuke was hit with a painful revelation that the blonde did not believe him. Or there was just simply something more he didn't know about.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Naruto flopped on his bed comfortably. Sasuke and his team were with him, with Karin maintaining a considerable distance from him while Suigetsu and Juugo stayed pretty much the same. He understands why the girl felt that way, he understands why she suddenly felt like screaming in terror being with him. She must have seen a beast in him when he lost control like that earlier, and no, it was not the nine-tailed beast, but something more… so, yes, it was understandable that she'd shake and try to be as far away as possible from him. Doesn't mean he's not the least bit hurt though.

Through years and years of being called a monster, shunned away by the society because of what's inside him, abused and almost killed by those who hated him, one would have thought he's pretty much used to the hostility already. Contrary to the popular belief though, he still feels the stabbing pain from the cold and fearful eyes of anyone who sees him as nothing more than a monster when he's not.

How satisfied he would be to explain that no, he is not a monster, to all the people who thinks of him that way. But he knows no one would believe him, much less listen to him. After all, no one believes a man labelled as insane when he says he's not crazy.

He felt his bed dipped and he turned to see Sasuke sitting nonchalantly beside him, the other three sitting on the floor.

"Naruto," Oryu called out to him from the door. "Don't kill her, alright?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Ha-ha, very funny." Oryu smirked at him before closing the door.

Naruto sighed at the supposed to be most-matured-man-of-the-house's antics. Oryu _is _a strict man, but he could be terrifyingly childish sometimes when it comes to people he doesn't like and of course, punishments. The older guy knows that he doesn't just go and kill anyone, Oryu probably, no, surely said it to purposely scare Karin more. No one knows, but that strict father figure is rather protective of his family. He's kind that way… and in certain other ways.

His eyes went to see how Karin was faring and he was right, Oryu got what he wanted. The poor girl was scared to death.

He moved back to the headboard and leaned against it, folding his feet in an Indian sit. He was trying to get comfortable when Sasuke pushed against him, trying to hog a space for him. They pushed each other for quite some time with curses and insults flying about, but Naruto remembered he was going to watch what was going on outside. So, they settled with sharing that small space, Sasuke's right shoulder slightly behind him in an attempt not to be too stuffy, resulting with him leaning half against Sasuke's shoulder and half against the headboard.

He held out his left hand and from there materialized a cloudy, and bluish crystal orb.

"What's that?" Sasuke asked him, the raven's breath dangerously close in his ears that he could clearly feel the hot breath. A shiver ran a course through him involuntarily.

"Get away, idiot!" Naruto hissed.

"Why?" Naruto flinched when the boy spoke again.

"Stupid, you're just making my position to Karin even much worse." He whispered angrily.

Sasuke didn't reply immediately, but also didn't make a move of leaning away. "No. I'm pissed at her anyway." To prove his point, Sasuke snaked his arms around Naruto's waist, pulled the blonde closer to his chest and placed his chin on Naruto's shoulder, making the blonde boy blush a cute hue of pink with his skin tingling with hundred volts electricity.

It was all new to Sasuke, the way he held the blonde in his arms. However, the act itself came naturally – too naturally, that it almost scared him, but it was not in any way unwelcome. He liked the feel of Naruto against him, noticing how the blonde was smaller compared to his own built. Sasuke knew he stood a few inches taller than the blonde, such as that striking blue eyes was just where his lips are, but it was only now did he really see how narrow Naruto's shoulders were.

"Ugh…" Naruto groaned when he looked at the spectacled red-head. Her eyes conveying a mix of fear and hatred.

_Looks like it's not just Oryu who's childish._

"Oi, oi. Ya two prob'ly forgot we're still 'ere?" Sugietsu's heavily accented speech got Naruto remembering that yes, he and Sasuke weren't the only people inside the room. His heavy blush doubled up with the way Suigetsu and Juugo were sending knowing smiles to them, making him rather uncomfortable.

He tried to wriggle his way from Sasuke the bastard, but he wouldn't let go. "Stop moving so much, damn Dobe, or I'll kiss you."

If Sasuke was surprised to have said that, it didn't show in his face. Naruto instantly froze with the threat though, because he didn't know if he could take more from the touches Sasuke was giving. It's not like they haven't been this close before. They lean against each other all of the times, Naruto would even lay his head on Sasuke's lap when he sleeps and Sasuke would do the same sometimes. Naruto would even hug the guy whenever he gets exhilarated so much that he couldn't contain his happiness in his own. He just got awkward because Karin suggested something as unbelievable as 'seduction' when he didn't think anything remotely like that about his actions.

Besides, when did Sasuke even thought of a kiss anyway? Sasuke, the asexual moronic bastard just threatened him with a kiss. How could he not be shocked?

"You still haven't answered." Sasuke prodded, tightening his grip around Naruto. "What's that thing?"

Truthfully, Sasuke didn't know why he was doing things like this and why in the hell he just threatened Naruto to kiss him. The urge to touch the hair, the face, the hands, started way, way before. He wasn't really sure when exactly those urges started, but he was sure it awakened with vengeance when they met again. The thought of a kiss however, probably started back at the clearing earlier when he tilted Naruto's chin upwards towards him. The moment the blonde faced him closely, he instantly noticed the thin line of his lips.

_Fuck… I'm getting weird._

But he has to admit, Naruto's touches and the way he feels locked inside his arms felt really good. And even the bloody thought of a kiss didn't sound too bad either…

"This," Naruto's voice woke him up from daydreaming before even more rather unbefitting thoughts started emerging in his mind, "is an orb made of crystallized chakra. Oryu helped me make this." He reached behind him to grab a pillow, making Sasuke's hold loosen up. The instant he settled the pillow before him and the orb on it, Sasuke embraced him again, this time with Naruto propped in between his legs. The blonde even leaned in to the raven, shifting comfortably. Not that the blonde noticed, but the other four occupants sure did though, especially Sasuke.

"What's it do?" Sasuke asked as if testing the waters, whether Naruto would notice or not. But the blonde idiot didn't, grinning widely instead, having forgotten what happened earlier in the clearing and Karin's hostility due to excitement of explaining about the orb wonder.

"We can see whatever is happening outside, of course!" Naruto boasted. "It's like Sandaime-jiji's crystal ball that he uses all the time to spy on people. It can practically see through anywhere with the right amount of chakra. But I hate using this, since I know how it feels to always be spied on. Oh, that old man did it a lot to me all the time! It was annoying! I couldn't do anything without him watching!"

The orb glowed, inviting Suigetsu and Juugo closer to see what it would show. Karin, no matter how curious she was opted to stay away in hatred of what's in front of her.

…

"I'm so sorry," Oryu turned old man with grey hairs and commoner's clothes gave the picture back to the ninja. "I don't think I remember seeing anyone like that." Oryu could see the irritation building up to the head ANBU of Konoha and he internally cheered. If actually not for the instruction not to kill these idiots from Naruto, he probably would have beheaded them. And he was sure it's not only him who thought about it what with all the Konoha elders did with their treasured blonde leader.

"Are you sure, sir? Please take another look, this is really important. This is a wanted criminal from Konoha who murdered thousands of people seventeen years ago." The captain explained.

Oryu didn't like the way the man said those things, as if he was talking about some wild animal they needed desperately to kill. "Ara~" Feng's voice reminded him of his self-control he so much prided on. The fiery red-head, with her normal young and beautiful look but in a sultry commoner's clothes, was looking intently at the picture. "He's quite cute." She commented, fully aware that Naruto was watching them inside his room and the blush the kid would sport because of this. And the anger that would soon follow the blush.

"But he looks rather young. Eighteen the most, so how could he have killed anyone seventeen years ago? He should be a baby by that time." Feng, his 'wife' questioned.

He could see the flash of awareness from the captain's unmasked face that lasted for a split second before disappearing like nothing again. Oryu would have to commend on how Konoha trained their ninjas well with that, but it wasn't enough to elude his observation. "Though he looks like this, I assure you madam that he's a lot older than that. He's a deceiver full of malicious intent to everyone and attacks without discrimination."

_Such insolence!_

"Just to see your safety, we would like to search the house please." Before they could even answer, the other members of ANBU have already started sweeping the area. "Are you a family, sir?" The head asked Oryu-old-man, probably to lighten up the atmosphere.

"Ah, yes."

"Pardon me for saying this, but your kids don't look alike." Oryu would have raised an eyebrow if it wouldn't be too obvious, so he chose to mimic Feng's laugh of _Hohoho_!

"Indeed, they don't. They are from different mothers you see." He said while caressing his henge-beard.

The look in the captain's eyes was priceless, but Feng added more scandal to the poor guy's mind as she snaked her arms around Oryu-old-man and says, "And we haven't got kids yet."

…

Boisterous laughter shook the inside of the room with Naruto and Suigetsu's joined forces. The two idiots were laughing pretty damn hard because of such a joke. Well, Sasuke admits it was over the top to see an odd couple like that and he knows even he has raised an eyebrow.

He watched through the orb as the Konoha ninjas opened each doors, eyeing everything with keen eyes. The instant he saw through the orb that one ANBU opened their door, Sasuke looked at the 'real' door with his activated sharingan, preparing to use Amaterasu once it opens, his hands itching to grab his sword, his mind constructing four different battle plans and another for escape routes. Even his three subordinates instantly got on their feet, weapons at hand, ready to strike. However, their door didn't open.

Confused the shit out of him, he looked back at the orb and saw that same ANBU looking at another empty room. "Da hell?" He heard Suigetsu voiced out.

Naruto let out an amused laugh, whom Sasuke now noticed didn't even lift a finger even after seeing the Anbu open the fucking illusion-door. "Don't worry, we won't be found while we're in here. This is a sealed room."

"Seal?" Juugo instantly reacted.

Naruto nodded with a wide smile. "Yep, see, this room has a seal on its every corner, activated by me. If I so will it, once that door closes, we would practically disappear along with the room, and the door. What you saw the ANBU opened wasn't our door but actually the room Sasuke's occupying next to this. If you counted, they only opened five doors when it was supposed to have been six. Right now, we're stuck in a different plane than the realm's plane where Oryu and the others are so we wouldn't hear or see or even smell what is going on at the other side, the same for the people outside. It's pretty convenient as a hiding place."

Seeing Naruto so carefree like that, whom Sasuke guessed was waiting for this chance to explain to them about the room boastfully, got Sasuke thinking how stupid he was for panicking like that. He got so engrossed in the idea of a fight that he didn't even notice how Naruto never tensed under his arms.

"Dat's so cool!"

"Uhuh! This room is pretty much my lair! Because of the seal that is operated by my chakra, no one would be able to come inside if I don't will it."

"You fucking idiot should have told us earlier." Sasuke glared, which Naruto only replied with a wide foxy grin.

"Teach me dat! I might fin' it useful in lockin' Karin up!" Suigetsu exclaimed, starting another argument between him and Karin.

It was then that Sasuke noticed how Naruto's hand landed atop his own that were securely snaked around thin waist while he laughed. He was probably going to clutch at his stomach for laughing so much. Before Sasuke could even bat an eye nor think about it, he has already twined his fingers around Naruto's own. The blonde suddenly froze at the action, and it got Sasuke unbelievably fucking scared, which he thought was ridiculous because he hasn't feared anything simply because he's Sasuke fucking Uchiha. But that wild thumping of his, now apparently still existing heart, against his rib cage, was proof enough that yes, he was scared shitless that he thought his breath was stuck in who knows where, more so when Naruto slowly turned his head to look at him.

He anticipated to see what Naruto's reaction would be. Would he push him away? Would he give him that lopsided smile? What would he do? Different scenarios ran through his head, and Sasuke suddenly decided that the things concerning Uzumaki Naruto is far more nerve-wracking, strength-consuming, and all the fucking –ing's he could think of than an actual battle itself. It was ridiculous. Utterly, and stupidly ridiculous. Yet, it was true.

He watched, heart in his ears, as pure shock slowly crossed the blonde's face, before blushing madly in embarrassment in an instant. Their eyes met and locked for a while, and Sasuke could have cursed his mental capacities out loud when all the thinking just stopped, before Naruto shyly looked down at their intertwined hands and then away.

"Do you hate it?" No, Sasuke didn't think of that, still, it easily slipped out of his mouth like a buttered piece. He was amazed though, when his voice never wavered, sounded confident even, and he silently praised himself for his acting skills.

He subconsciously breathed out loud against Naruto's reddening ears and saw Naruto closed his eyes, even felt the poorly suppressed shiver. He looked intently at the blonde, waiting for an answer, until blue eyes partly peeked through half-lidded lids and Naruto whispered back a slightly trembling "…Not really."

Sasuke unconsciously squeezed the hand he was holding as waves of pleasure assaulted his whole body with such intensity. He didn't expect to receive a squeeze back from the blonde though, but when Naruto did, it strangely made him absolutely ecstatic. He embraced the blonde a bit tighter as he buried his face on the blonde's shoulder to hide the embarrassingly wide and silly smile gracing his lips. "I don't hate it either." _I actually like it._ He added mentally.

He knew before that being with Naruto was a bad idea because of _something_ the blonde could invoke within him. But if he knew he could get this happy with being able to touch him, he would have stayed with the blonde a long time ago or drag him wherever he went. Emotions are unnecessary, was what his brother taught him, but how could he deny himself _this_ if it felt so good? Well, he cannot escape from the blonde anyway, so why waste his fucking time evading the blonde enigma when he could help himself with _this?_

Right now, he indulged himself in blissfulness as long, satisfied sigh escaped his lips.

…

Sho looked through dangerously sharp eyes how Keisuke hugged the captain of the ANBU while laughing. It was painfully obvious how the man willed the blush down, how the pathetic ninja tries to sneak a lustful glance at that girly-boy idiot. Feng was laughing heartily, clearly proud of her 'chibi-suke' and his seducing skills. The red-head even announced loudly how Keisuke could have any man he would so wish for.

"Huh? Why a man?" Keisuke the idiot asked Feng.

"Ara~ you don't see men's lustful glances at you? You can have them kneeling for you if you want, you'd be even greater than me!" Frankly, Sho wanted to throttle the woman for implanting stupid ideas to the already stupid kid.

"But girls flock over me too!"

"Fufu… I know, but you're better suited for a man who would take care of you. Girls would only play with you since you're so adorable, but a man would give his life for you." The ANBU captain visibly blushed and another tick formed in Sho's head.

"Eehh, but Feng… I don't like them. I don't want something so short-lived."

"Oya, then you find something not short-lived."

"I only have you five though."

"Oh? There are many more out there! Remember?"

"…still. They just try to touch me… I don't like it." In the back of his mind, Sho thought about their conversation and how the outsiders probably wouldn't be able to decipher the hidden meaning behind simple words. Still, Sho wasn't an outsider, and he understood perfectly well because they all share the same secrets, the same worries, the same loathe of something short-lived.

"That's why you're still a kid, chibi-chan. You don't know the pleasures of having someone to touch you. Do you want me to teach you personally? Or would you like a man?" ANBU captain blushed harder if possible, but Keisuke just looked at Feng without understanding what she just said.

"Enough of your stupidity." Sho walked forward rather abruptly to them as he snatched Keisuke away from the ninja, taking the white-head's breathe in the sudden movement.

"Sho! That hurts!" Kei whined, but Sho ignored it.

"Listen carefully idiot. No, don't interrupt. If you listen to what she just said, you'd probably end up as a toy for pleasure. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Keisuke shook his head. "That means, you'd be forced to do whatever you don't want to do and they would take away everything from you even your freedom!"

Keisuke gasped and pouted, swearing to never get those humans touch him again ever. Sho nodded in satisfaction upon hearing that, flinching when he saw a knowing smile sent his way from that perverted red-head. "You shouldn't hinder him becoming an adult."

Sho rudely scoffed. "You just tried to teach him a load of crap."

"Eh? I thought it was you who told a bunch of bull with your little speech about freedom and all."

Sho clicked his tongue, not wasting anymore breath to argue with the woman's twisted thoughts. Fine, he said some shit about taking everything away from you when it's not even remotely true. But he could get along with that if that would stop Keisuke the idiot from doing what Feng suggested. If he wouldn't stop it, who would? The idiot would probably end up as a whore in a brothel with Feng raising him up.

"And you!" Sho pointed a finger to the captain just in time for the other ninjas to enter the living room. "I'll fucking kill you if ever you dare look at him with that lustful eyes of yours again, and I'd burn your soul to hell if you even lay one finger on him! I don't care if you're a ninja, I'd look for you even after your death if you break my words!"

Silence enveloped thickly against the room after Sho's speech. In the midst of it all, Yukari got hold of the picture and she was the one who broke the silence with another icier one. "Oh? I know this big brother." Everyone looked at her. "He went here a few days ago when everyone was out to the village and I was left behind. He asked for a meal and went on his way quickly after eating."

The silence stretched out some more before the captain cleared his throat and announced a retreat.

…

Naruto and Sasuke decided to stay a little bit longer, just for a few minutes more, even as the other three has already walked out of the room. It was a precaution, though honestly speaking, the two of them just wanted to be like that for a moment longer. Both probably unsure if the thing that happened would happen again sometime soon, or if ever at all. What they both experienced was something so precious it would be a waste to be left alone just like that.

They stepped out of the room, finally, after five more minutes, walking side by side and obviously closer to each other that their shoulders and hands brushed off every now and then.

The new level of closeness was so obvious at everyone's eyes even if no one reacted. They just openly stared at the blushing Naruto and the smirking Sasuke. It was an unexpected development especially because of the event at the clearing earlier. Unexpected but was totally anticipated after all those times.

Everything was going good, that is until Naruto suddenly froze when he sniffed at the air – his head came crashing back down to the world of reality with a painful thump. He groaned and slapped his face. "Aw, man! Talk about the worst possible timing!"

And the door opened with a bang as Kakashi and his team suddenly entered.


	11. Chapter 10

Gosh! It's a hectic life. So busy that I desperately need a break!

**Chapter 10:**

Eleven days. They have been going on and on, searching for their missing blonde friend from corner to corner, still, there was nothing. Through their search, the group wouldn't waste any time for unnecessary stops. Just a few hours from the moment the sun comes down until before sunrise was enough for their rest time. At the very least, they have already crossed out Sunagakure from their list. That would be the very last place Naruto would go, knowing that people knows his close relationship with their Kazekage; and that by being there, he would risk breaking the alliance made between two countries. Furthermore, Konoha's ANBU secretly sent out by the council might have even gone there first.

Of course, they did not start searching blindly. Kakashi had suggested to give a round on the Fire Country's borders, from there, his dog-nins might be able to get even the slightest whiff of Naruto's scent. That is, if the blonde wasn't using any barriers to hide him.

Admittedly, searching for a person was not something easy. Every day that would pass means a flicker of hope would die. To them, it was like searching for Sasuke; and the feelings while looking for him was happening all over again, the thrill, the exhaustion, the hopelessness. This time though, they weren't looking for Sasuke, they were looking for their youngest member, who, unlike Sasuke, would listen to them and welcome them with open arms; or at least they hope so. They hope the year that had gone was not long enough for someone like Naruto to change.

Useless hope, they know, because a change was unavoidable, but still they hope that the innocence, the bright eyes, the determination was still there.

Nearly four hours ago, Kakashi's dogs caught that familiar scent, it was the reason why the three of them were feeling giddy. They rushed, running against time, adding extra sprint in their steps not wanting to be caught by the setting sun and be stranded in the middle of the forest. Not when they were so close. They were at the borders of the Land of Fangs, and the more they venture forward, the stronger the scent was.

"Kakashi!" Pakkun, one of Kakashi's ninja dogs, halted with a start. Everyone did so too, concealing their chakra to the minimum and hiding in the shadows because of the obvious alert the dogs were showing. Kakashi has informed his summons about avoiding anyone at all cost if possible, and it was proved to be very useful. During those eleven days and nights they were travelling, not once did they come across anyone, being informed ahead if there were people around. This halt was also one of those stops. "It's Konoha ninjas."

This was the first though, to come across their own. Secretly, stealthily, they followed the group of ANBU squads until they came a good distance away from a cabin. "This isn't good." Pakkun whispered harshly. "Naruto's scent is coming from there."

Everyone was instantly alerted, panicking and wondering what course of action they should do if Naruto was found. Kakashi turned to his charges, "Listen, Naruto has people to protect him, but it is also our duty. However, it's true that we cannot be seen, so we would stand by the shadows and attack from behind if a fight breaks out. Understood?"

As the ANBU went inside the cabin, Pakkun was immediately faced in the most confusing situation. "Naruto's scent just vanished." Though it was not just Naruto's scent, even the one they were looking for so long ago was there, the one with the deepest black hair and coldest cobalt eyes, but along with Naruto, it seems he also disappeared. Pakkun didn't know however, if mentioning about the last living Uchiha besides from the ancient Madara was a good thing.

"What do you mean?" Sakura hissed.

Pakkun looked at her levelly, secretly annoyed by the mightier-than-though attitude the pink haired girl was apparently accumulating. "Exactly as I said. It just vanished."

"What? Are you really a nin-dog?"

"Sakura," Kakashi intervened, having slowly getting irritated by the kunoichi's behaviour since the day in the Hokage's office. In his eyes, it was like Sakura was reverting back to her old, selfish ways. When the girl was young, it was something he could see as mutely cute, but now that she's at the right age, it was downright annoying. "It's true. If you didn't feel Naruto's chakra signature earlier, then it's your fault, but I did; and just like Pakkun said, it looks like he disappeared." _And __looks __like __it __wasn__'__t __just __Naruto __in __there._

The girl looked down and didn't say anymore. After about twenty minutes, they saw the squad leave the house without Naruto in tow. They were also about to leave after ensuring that the squad has already gone far away, but not a second later, Naruto's chakra along with his scent came out of nowhere. And he was still inside the house.

The moment the blonde mysteriously appeared again, Kakashi bolted out into a mad dash, his team members following closely behind. He didn't want to waste another second dallying around, because a second was all it takes for Naruto to possibly disappear again. When he was so close to opening the door, Sakura immediately stepped in.

"Can't be…" She whispered, her breathe seemingly caught in her throat. Her eyes widened considerably, and Kakashi could almost see how her memories of her childhood crush came playing inside her head, rekindling any flames left. It wasn't hard not to know since it was all so painfully obvious in her voice, in her eyes, in her movements. Sai probably saw it all, and Kakashi could only sigh in the boy's expense.

Sakura's gloved hands rudely opened the door with a loud bang, not even announcing their presence. Inside, a group of ten people gathered at the living room, five unknown individuals, three of Sasuke's team, and Naruto and Sasuke themselves. From their reactions, Kakashi could tell how their visit was so undeniably unexpected and he would have believed so if not for Naruto's reactions. Or maybe they really didn't know they were out there, aside from Naruto?

"Hey, there."

"Sasuke-kun…" Was Sakura's intelligent reply, though she wasn't really listening to the blonde; and that one word was enough to elicit a quiet groan from their last Uchiha.

Naruto went over to Kakashi, watching Sakura and Sasuke at the corner of his eyes. "Yo." He whispered. "Uhh, you did come here for me, right?"

Kakashi took another deep sigh. "Yes, actually, we did." _But __then __again, __just __the __sight __of __Sasuke __makes __that __girl __forget __what __we __really __came __here __for._

…

One of the most important skills a ninja must have is to have a keen observation. Through years of training and actual combat, that particular skill has engrained itself so deep that Kakashi uses it even in his normal life, and he was glad with that. After all, it was only through observation that he could get his every day dose of interesting stuff. It was thanks to this that he knew about Sasuke's slip ups, Sakura's inner self, and Naruto's secret life.

That was why he wasn't very shocked when Naruto sat down the Japanese mat, laid the sealed scroll down the low table, and worked his way in opening it – which took him for about three minutes.

He could also tell how Naruto has gotten good controlling his chakra, because even now as Kakashi looks at the blonde, he could almost feel next to nothing compared to his usual amount.

His eyes darted to each and every one occupying the living room. Sakura looked ready to burst out, probably to question both of his boys on what happened to them, but chose to ask away later after the serious stuffs. Sai, well, he still has his blank face that Kakashi didn't know what he was thinking. Though if he would consider Sai and Sakura's budding relationship, he could probably assess that the pale boy was feeling uncertain due to the sudden reappearance of his greatest rival in affection.

Sasuke's team looked ready for a fight, thinking maybe they were there to take Sasuke just like what they have been doing for the last few years. No matter how much Kakashi wants Sasuke back to Konoha though, he would have to wait because of the things happening inside the village. Naruto's team however, gives Kakashi a different kind of feeling. They don't have an exceptional chakra amount, or maybe they were just suppressing it just like Naruto was doing, but he could tell that they would be useful in battle despite two of the members being young.

What amazes Kakashi however, was the fact that Sasuke was reading the scroll along with Naruto, their faces inches apart it was almost disconcerting. Well, he wouldn't say that the two of them being exceptionally close was not predicted because it actually was. He just couldn't find it in him to believe that Sasuke, the walking ice, has got it in him to actually be on terms with his feelings, or in his case, probably inner turmoil, and make a move on the blonde. And Naruto, the blonde didn't make a move to step away from the overly close Sasuke. If he could be totally frank, he would say that Naruto welcomes it.

_Maa, it's not like I didn't know about these two. They've been hot with each other since they were young. Even the Sandaime knew. Probably even Tsunade, what with all Naruto's plea of taking Sasuke back._

"Fuck." Sasuke cussed after reading the scroll, murderous aura seeping out from his bones.

Naruto let out an amused chuckle. "Maa, maa. We knew this would happen."

Sasuke glared at the blonde idiot, but seeing the_forced_ carefree attitude he has come to detect perfectly even while he sleeps, he took a deep sigh to calm himself down. "You bloody idiot, you're still the same."

Kakashi noticed the change in him of course, especially the gentle tone and the affectionate pat on Naruto's head. Something the other probably noticed too, but didn't comment. "Uh…" He awkwardly interrupted. "Before I ask what the situation is, can you please tell me what the hell just happened when your scent just suddenly disappeared and reappeared out of nowhere?"

"Oh?" Naruto's eyes twinkled in excitement. "It's just a trick I learned using a seal."

Kakashi knew there was more to it than just being a seal, but there were more pressing matters they needed to know. "So, you want to start explaining?"

"Well, I know Tsunade has already told you about what happened a year ago." Naruto started with a scratch on his cheek. "The council saw me as a threat because of the seal breaking, so they banned me from the village. Actually, they wanted me dead but Tsunade reasoned to them, so the meeting ended with my banishment. But the old hag also didn't want it, especially with the council's term of anyone not communicating with me. Still, we exchanged letters, you know that old hag. She's stubborn for her own good!

"According to the letter though, somehow, the council discovered that Madara has started searching for me so the council secretly dispatched a group of ANBU to search for me and kill me before the enemies get a hold of me."

"Not just that," Sasuke added. "It seems that Danzo is alive. Tsk, even after what I did, he still crawls back from the dead."

"You know, don't you, Kakashi. About the '_order__'_ more than ten years ago." At this point, Kakashi almost saw where this talk was going. "Danzo is alive, someone saved him. Furthermore, the council is shielding that lucky worm, probably because they want him to be the Hokage. You know what it means, right?"

Kakashi gulped. _It __means, __a __coup __d__'__etat __is __on __its __way__…_

Naruto leaned back on his hands as he looked at the ceiling. "It doesn't end with the council wanting me dead, though. With Danzo being alive and protected by the council, there's a huge chance that Danzo told them about Sasuke knowing the _'__order__'_. That's why it wasn't just me they were hunting, they also want to strike down Sasuke because once the truth about what happened comes to light, they would be stripped off their power. Sasuke and Danzo is actually the greatest evidence the Hokage could have against the illegal doings of the council."

"What?" Collective of gasps erupted through the air once Naruto revealed the corruption going on in Konoha's government.

"That's not the best part though." Sasuke chimed in. Every whispers and mumbles died out, waiting for more of the news their Hokage has delivered. "Looks like Madara is going to attack Konoha some time soon."

Kakashi was never more thankful for his mask before now, because hearing about a major attack coming to their village just made his usual pale complexion even whiter. _So __that__'__s __why __the __Hokage __doesn__'__t __want __Naruto __back._

…

The dinner has been eventful, what with all of the catching up they did. Since the kitchen was relatively small and just enough for six people, everyone gathered at the spacious living room. Oryu decided to put all of the food on the low table, with no available space for anyone to eat there. All in all, they sat around the table, holding their bowls as they eat. It was not a good manner in a typical house, but they didn't have any choice so no one complained. Besides, everyone in there was a ninja, having experienced a slight discomfort every now and then.

As expected, Sakura wanted to hear from Naruto what happened for the last year; and though Naruto told her whatever she wanted to know, he refrained from telling her his secrets. It's not that bad though since the girl was mostly asking how come Sasuke was also here with him.

_Typical Sakura._

However, he couldn't deny the fact that throughout the night, Sai didn't talk so much. Naruto knew about their relationship, so the guy was probably feeling a bit left out when Sakura was talking _about __Sasuke_ or _to __Sasuke_ with every chance she got – which by the way earned her Karin's animosity.

The house only has six bedrooms, so sharing was unavoidable. The rooming would have gone smoothly, if not for the fact that Sakura tried her might to explain herself to Sasuke why she's rooming with Sai. She didn't say they were going out, and it upsets Naruto to think how much the girl was taking Sai for granted now that Sasuke was there. He also saw the attentive glances Kakashi would send the pale boy, as if gauging what his reactions from her every action would be. Lastly, Sai, well, he did not defend himself at all, nor confronted Sakura to the way she was treating him. He just smiled all night.

Naruto stared at his ceiling.

Too much information for a night's worth. It was all too much. To know that the council was planning to overthrow the current Hokage, to know that Madara wants him, and to know that Madara was planning an attack to Konoha.

He kept telling himself everything has got nothing to do with him. It would be dangerous if he gets in the fray, everything would be thrown out of balance if he ever lifts a finger. Isn't that why he was hiding? To not disrupt the balance of things? No one should know about him, about the truth, about the secrets, about the power. Hiding would be the best thing to do. No matter how much he hates it, no matter how much he wants to be in the front line when it comes to protecting his loved village, he can't go out there. Tsunade was right, as she told him through the letter not to be involved. She's right. But it doesn't mean that he's satisfied, that he's got a peace of mind.

Cold arms enveloped his waist that got him looking at Sasuke. With all the people housing here, the two of them got to share Naruto's room. Sasuke refused to share a room with anyone other than him though, probably because they were comfortable with each other. Sasuke's nimble fingers traced circular patterns against his waist.

It still shocks him how they got to progress into _this_ so naturally in just a matter of hours. It was all too fast for him; or maybe he just thought of it as fast since it was only now that he has come aware of their touches because of Karin when they have been casually touching, leaning against each other, and sometimes hugging for quite some time now. However, even with all of that, they have never held hands before, Sasuke has never threatened to kiss him, never has Sasuke nuzzled his neck.

Everything felt as if they have just advanced to a whole new level. From innocent, casual, friendly touches, to a more intimate one. It was somewhat frightening.

"You're cold." Naruto whispered against Sasuke's chest.

"Well, you're warm."

Comfortable silence stretched for a moment. Only their rhythmic breathing and the sound of their thumping hearts echoed in their ears. Sasuke continued to trace feathery circles against Naruto's waist, while Naruto just focused listening on Sasuke's heart. "You know…" Sasuke whispered. "I'm going to have to go back to Konoha. I have to finish what I started. And I have to stop Madara from getting you."

Naruto clenched his eyes shut. He knew this was coming when the letter came. He knew. Which is why he was having a hard time thinking if hiding really was the right thing to do. No, he cannot question it because hiding really is the right thing to do. But knowing that Sasuke would be going out there, in the front lines, probably ridding of Konoha's dirty council – which is the main concern now, had him itching to go out too. Knowing that Sasuke would stand against Madara however, got him really scared… Scared enough to throw away all of what is right and be with him.

"I know." He whispered back, though with much difficulty. "I know. I'm going with you."

Sasuke released his arms from Naruto's waist to cup the blonde's face. He searched that blue eyes he has come to love, their foreheads touching. "No. You know you can't. I don't want you to."

Naruto shook his head in defiance. He clutched the hand touching his face tightly, not wanting to let go. "No. No. I'm going."

"Naruto, you'll be in danger. Madara wants you, and I'm not planning on giving you to him on a silver platter."

"I have my team with me. They'd protect me enough while you do your business. And I'm fairly strong too, you know that. Please…" Naruto looked into the depths of those onyx eyes. "I'm coming with you."

Hearing Naruto plead to him like that made something in Sasuke's chest swell. Something warm erupted from his chest that continued to spread outwards, to the whole of his body – through his face, his ears, and his eyes. So much warmth all at once had his breath constricted, earning a small, quiet gasp. He closed his eyes and felt, savouring whatever was happening to him because unlike what he grew up to believe, it wasn't threatening at all – it was pleasant, actually.

Taking a deep breath, he scooped the blonde closer against him, tightly embracing Naruto in hopes that he could share whatever it is he was feeling to the blonde.

Knowing Naruto wanted to be with him badly, got his heart wild and left him dizzy, making him realize whatever the hell it was that has been happening to him whenever he sees the blonde in distress, crying, happy, or just whenever he's there – the _whatever-what-not-feeling_ that he was calling a problem and danger. It was all stupid, really. It was so obvious, painfully so, makes him wonder why he didn't understand earlier than this. It has always been there, knocking at the edges of his being, waiting to be realized.

Now, he knows. And he's planning to make the blonde know and understand that, too, with every action, with every second. He would shower him with touches, until the day comes when he knows the blonde would be ready enough to hear those words. After that, he could then go on with his threat of a kiss. Or maybe he could jumble the order a little…

But now, Naruto is not ready yet. Even if the blonde was not saying anything against his advances, even if he doesn't hate his caresses, he knows it probably scares him a little, what with growing up without people to show him affection. If he does what he really wants to do now, the blonde would probably freak out and clam inside his shell. So really, as of now, he'd settle with lots of hugs and holding hands.

_Fuck. I'm getting cheesy and it's all the damn Dobe's fault._

Still, Sasuke smiled.

"You're not going to listen to me, are you?" Sasuke asked, willing his attention away from those three little words echoing inside his head with a wretched force, threatening to spill from his mouth.

The raven could feel that silly grin solely Naruto against his chest when the blonde answered, "Nope. When did I ever listen to you?"

It should have angered him, as usual, but all he ever felt, now that the seal in his treasure box full of _Narutions _(all his Naruto-concerned-emotions) has been lifted, was bliss. Pure, unadulterated bliss.

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><p>Reviews please. It makes the world go round. :)<p> 


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Shrieks of a child's laughter reverberated through the whole garden. Seeing her grand child so carefree and untouched of the outside world's grime and darkness, a gracious smile found its way on her wary and wrinkled face. Koharu Utatane might have been a member of the council, and through the years of her servitude, she knows that not all of the people of Konoha holds a good insight for her. However, first and foremost, she has a family of her own. Which is why she would do anything to protect the village her family is living at.

"Granny! Granny!" Her five year-old grandson ran to her with all his might, a rubber ball the size of his own head clutched safely in his arms. He was grinning silly, successfully spreading his joy around. The child jumped in her arms, and though her bones were already brittle and weren't how it used to be, she was still able to catch him safely. "Let's play! Come on!"

Koharu would have immediately said yes, she would have loved to. However, the silent arrival of one of her ANBU leaders has caught her attention, and having her assigned person here must have mean that something happened. Koharu smiled kindly at her grand child. "Not now, dear. Why don't you go inside first and have some cookie? We'll play later, okay?" The child gave her an enthusiastic nod before running inside the manor.

The second the young boy was out of her sight, all traces of amusement vanished from her face, replaced by a strict and stern persona she would use outside the child's sight. "And?" She stood up proud, her hands clasped properly behind her before calling out without really turning to look at the person she was talking to. "Is there any progress?"

"No, sire. There's still no Uzumaki Naruto found, or any traces of him."

Koharu kept her crisped hands from trembling, barely even suppressing her anger. "And the Uchiha boy?"

"No development, sire."

Koharu took a deep, shaky breath. It had been more than a week since she ordered an ANBU squad of assassination, yet there was still no progress. They couldn't even find the people she wanted them to find. _Patience,_ she told herself. No matter how important it was for those convicts to be executed, she cannot do anything more but to find them first. It was dangerous, so dangerous to leave two powerful individuals free of reign, one criminal and the other a monster. "You are dismissed." A word from her and the shadow retreated.

"Mother." A woman's voice she very well knows interrupted her musings. From behind the sliding door, her daughter stepped up, a worried crease in her forehead.

Koharu did not like it, she did not like the way the girl behaved. "You very well know it is not a way of a lady with such stature to eavesdrop. It's rude, and embarrassing. What would the villagers say when they knew the daughter of one of the council is a very brash and crude girl?"

The youngster looked down, seemingly ashamed of what she just did that offended her mother so much. "I apologize, mother. However, I cannot sit and watch as you do something behind the Hokage's back. I know very well that what you're doing is against the law, it could result in something – a huge problem! What if the rest of the elders knew? And the Hokage? What would happen to you?"

Koharu Utatane sent an icy glare to her daughter. "What a _presumptuous_ girl!" She spat, clearly reminding the girl of her righteous place. "Do you question my judgement?" The shrill and high pitched voice made the young lady flinch. "Something like _that_ abominable beast should be eradicated! Everyone knows how dangerous it is. But no one, _no one_ among the people in the seats are in their right mind. No one has the right sense of courage in them, choosing to do nothing despite the obvious risks! And that Uchiha criminal, don't get me started with that. He has killed so many people already, he shouldn't be left free! Still, no one does anything! So I take it in me to give the proper judgement. Me and the old Homura Mitokado, us in the council alone sees the future of our village if those two continues to exist!"

A quiet gasp escaped the daughter's lips. "But, mother! The young Uchiha, he was mislead. Someone manipulated the loneliness in him of losing his family and turned it into hatred! Surely, you know that! And the other boy, Naruto… I have seen with my own eyes how the jinchuuriki grew up! He's a nice boy, mother." She cried, pleaded, but the old woman's reply to her was a rather scandalized face.

"That's _outrageous_!" Koharu exclaimed, her whole body trembling in so much shock, disbelief on how her daughter could possibly perceive _that __being_ as anything _'__nice__'_. "A beast is a beast no matter what clothing it wears, my dear daughter. Do you really, honestly believe, that Kyuubi could change its nature just because it was inside a human for a while? Do you think a person can change overnight? That's impossible! And for something like Kyuubi, mere seventeen years is just a day for it compared to thousands of years it has lived!"

"But the boy is not the Kyuubi mother…" The young one continued. "He's just the container."

"Silence!" Koharu's voice raised up a level, freaking out the girl and probably the birds that just flew away. The old lady saw the fear in her daughter's eyes, so she took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. When she was sure that she wouldn't lash out to her poor daughter anymore, she gave her a smile. "Children should listen to what the elders say, my child, because we knows what is best." She walked back towards the house, but stopped mid tracks to say something educating for her still learning child. "A simple sacrifice as one or two lives is good enough payment for the lives of millions, my dear."

…

Feng blew on her nails as she continued to file it before stretching her arms out to check her handy work. She smiled after seeing her long and pretty fingers and her long but clean nails. Really, even the smallest part of her being screams beautiful, a term that just suits her perfectly.

"Oi! You slutty woman." Karin's voice interrupted her, but she didn't give any indication that she was listening at all. "Get moving and work your ass off!" Feng sighed, secretly pitying the girl she was sharing hair color with, for being so vulgar. Everyone knows that no men likes a tomboy girl, she thought. Surely, Karin must have known that, because she would get all demure and behaved whenever she's in Sasuke's presence.

_Well, I've seen a lot of people like her._

Feng's green eyes with a hint of yellow in it finally looked at the other girls she was with. They were in the garden, doing the laundry. In this house, doing household chores were necessary, especially if no one wants a fuming Oryu in their tails. So for the sake of removing that strict old man behind her back, Feng decided to tag along with the girls as they do all of the work, because really, why would she help when she was doing her nails? Furthermore, they were washing everybody's clothes, even the boys'. Sure, Feng likes to divulge in carnal pleasures, but there was just no way that she would touch a boy's boxers in any other way than in bed.

_Not that there are any boxers here. Those boys are too proper for their own good. _

She looked at Karin who was still grumbling. It must have been a real disappointment to the girl when she found no boxers among the clothes in there.

_Probably __looking __for __Sasuke__'__s._ Feng laughed.

"You won't be able to force that lazy woman to work, Karin." Yukari quietly said as she carried a basket full of white sheets. "She only listens to Oryu or Naruto."

Feng laughed out loud at Karin's obvious distress. She didn't know why the girl was complaining so much when they didn't have to pull so much muscles in doing their laundry because Oryu has ordered a washing machine the moment they stepped in here. At least the guy knew how much work washing can be, thanks to his first failed attempt. "Then you call them!" Karin insisted.

"If you want to make her move so much, then call them yourself." The little girl replied, knowing full well that Karin never dared to show attitude when it comes to Oryu since the beginning. Now, with how the things are between Sasuke and Naruto, she wouldn't dare step anywhere near her hated person, leaving her no choice but to accept that Feng wouldn't help them any time soon.

"So…" A shy, new voice caught Feng's eyes. "How come you guys ended up being a group anyway?"

It was the bubblegum haired girl, the one with a very fair skin, a pretty smile, and an agreeable character. She was pretty, but not yet beautiful. She was a young lady, but not yet a woman. All in all, she was everything Karin was not – a demure, pretty little girl. Like what Feng thought of earlier, Sakura would be the very girl any man would want. However, as another girl, Feng knew that there was something more behind that pretty, little face – something she doesn't like.

_But hey, she's Naruto's friend no matter how much I don't like her._

So Feng chose to smile good-naturedly. "Well, a lot has happened. We found him alone a year ago and we discovered of his banishment. He didn't have anybody so we kind of stuck together." She looked at Sakura, secretly sizing the girl. "So, what's with you and that expressionless boy who came with you? He looks like someone ready to follow you around."

She was actually intrigued by that boy, Sai, who showed nothing more than polite smiles and kindness. For sure when other girls, those naïve little girls, see someone like that, they'd probably scream cool and kind and they'd probably label him as some kind of a prince found only in fairy tales. She agrees, somehow, that he should be stuck inside a normal story meant for normal people. However, in her eyes, the boy looks so boring and dreary and dry. If she was made an author, she would never use someone like him as her main character.

No matter, the boy was probably hiding something behind that boring smiles; and she wants to find out. People might dub her as someone slutty and lazy and immoral for what she has been doing, she wouldn't mind. What matters for her is to break those façade and see what's inside, and what more of a good way than through sex? In bed, she could see those carefully made masks shatter to pieces.

It was one of her flaws, maybe, or kinks or hobby if one would go to the extreme, but all she really wanted was to see those people who has caught her attention remove their masks. Truth be told though, sex wasn't the only thing she uses to break those porcelains. Say, in Oryu's case who uses a strict and proper demeanour, what could be the best way to break that than to be the most annoying person he would consider? By annoying she meant not cleaning, man-hunting, teasing to no end, and break rules that he would uphold. Those are the best ways to see a flushed, angry, and real Oryu – not that she could bed the man, she'd probably die first before even thinking about it.

For someone like Naruto, teasing was enough to see what's hidden in the usually grinning boy. She was also curious about Sasuke Uchiha, and she so wanted to see him flustered, not to mention he looks like a sex-god, but her urges wasn't that strong that she would risk invoking Naruto's anger on her.

Long story short, she's a girl, she's fickle, she's mean, and she wants to see them out of their pace. Especially when she's bored and is craving for some hot _entertainment._

"Oh, you mean Sai?" Sakura nervously laughed. "Well, nothing much. We just agreed to try being a couple recently, sorta, kinda…" Feng raised an eyebrow.

'_Try' she says. Saying it so casually like that makes an impression it was more of an experiment than out of love._

"Anyway," Sakura blushed. "How… how did you meet with Sasuke-kun's group?"

At the mention of the Uhciha-boy's name, Feng and Yukari exchanged looks, and Feng would have laughed out loud when Yukari lets out a long, suffering sigh. "Fufu… They just happened to venture in this area three or four weeks ago, I don't really remember. After that, well, some things just clicked and happened and he stayed here."

"Oh…"

"For goodness sake!" Karin exclaimed. "Another rival appears?"

"What do you mean another rival?" The sweet and lovely girl of Sakura's image vanished in an instant and replaced by a darker Sakura, raising Feng's eyebrow. She just said that Sakura was every man's dream – sweet, caring, perfect little girl. Karin's opposite in every aspect, so to say. Now, she wasn't so sure of that anymore.

"He's mine, stupid! Don't get any ideas!"

"Shut up! I knew him first!"

"Doesn't mean you can have him! He's already taken!"

"In your dreams!"

"Don't butt in, forehead! You already have that pale boy!"

"Shut up! I didn't ask for you opinion, four-eyes!"

Feng watched the two girls argue to whom Sasuke belongs, and she could only smirk in amusement. Poor girls doesn't even have the slightest idea that they don't stand even a less than one percent of a chance in Sasuke's eyes. It has been so long since Sakura saw the raven so it's fairly understandable that she doesn't know anything, still, she should probably notice the something going on between Naruto and Sasuke. Karin on the other hand, well, she didn't know if she should feel pity or something, because the spectacled girl clearly knew about Sasuke's new, or rather, recently awakened dormant feelings for Naruto.

Feng is a playful woman, she was the type of person who would go out with anyone but would never get serious with someone. In a sense, she was the same with Keisuke who doesn't want something so short-lived. But really, whatever or whoever could go out with her or anyone of the group for the matter? Someone like them doesn't need a human partner who would only leave them someday, or someone who would die and in the end, leave them. (That wouldn't stop her from divulging her desires for a fleeting moment, though).

That's why she was so happy for Naruto, truthfully, and honestly so.

The blonde has found someone to be with, someone to be serious with, and someone who would actually be with him until the end of the day. Sasuke was a rare person, someone who, when he knew what he wanted, would never let it go. Feng, and everyone in the group for the matter, even if one particular Sho was bitching about it, was, _is_ happy for Naruto. Because they could see it in Sasuke's eyes whenever he would look at the blonde, they could feel how he wouldn't leave Naruto for the world. They could see it in every touch, in every remarks.

No one knew what really happened between the two to suddenly go holding hands and hugging like they do, but it didn't come as a surprise for those who were watching. It was actually quite expected seeing that those two has never strayed away from one another ever since they met again. And with all the casual touches, leaning against each other, not minding that the other was invading their personal space, it was fairly easy to know what would happen in their relationship next.

They don't know if the two of them has already come to terms with their feelings, or if they have already talked about it. Most probably, the two of them were just following the urges their inner mind was telling them. For all they know, they haven't really confessed their love for one another and was just thinking how good it was and how they like the feel of the other under their touches. No matter, even if words weren't said yet, their actions scream enough of what they really feel.

One would surely be blind not to notice.

She hasn't experienced it yet, that thing they call love, that thing that's happening between their blonde and Sasuke. Throughout the years she has spent in so many man's embrace, she still hasn't met anyone who could make her throw away all of her doubts, disregard the rules, and make her want to stay with. But like what she advised Keisuke, she's not rushing. After all, they have all the time they needed.

"I know more about him, you four-eyed girl!" Sakura screeched. "I've been with him since we were young!"

"I don't care what you know about him!" Was Karin's smart reply. "_I_was the one travelling with him through the years, and hey, I didn't see you anywhere near us!"

Yukari rolled her eyes, earning a hearty laugh from Feng. The girls probably didn't know, but with Naruto lazing inside his room along with Sasuke, the blonde would have surely heard all of what they said. And knowing Naruto, he was probably laughing his ass off the two girls, narrating to Sasuke what he was hearing.

_One should really be careful with what you say if you're living with someone like Naruto._

Feng turned her eyes back to her nails, just in time to see the pale boy standing at the living room's entrance. His face was blank and void of any emotion, and by the looks of it, he was listening to whatever these two girls were arguing about. However, in Feng's expert eyes, the smiling idiot Sai just looked like he heard something he didn't want to hear.

_Oh, right, he and Sakura is a couple._

What with the girl rambling on and on, and arguing with Karin about _'__Sasuke-kun__'__,_she almost forgot that, yes, they have _'__agreed __to __try __being __a __couple__'_.

A wide, sinister smile appeared in Feng's face, making Yukari, who promptly noticed the sultry look in her eyes shake her head in exhaustion. Feng just found another source of entertainment that would probably last for a couple of weeks. The best part is, she didn't have to go out the trouble to search for it because it just came yesterday in their house, and into her hands.

"Fufu…" She couldn't wait to see whatever the boy was hiding behind his carefully laid mask. Now, just to find the perfect opportunity…

_Naruto would probably be angry. But it wouldn't hurt him if he didn't know, right? Besides, this could teach Sakura a lesson or two._

Everyone in their group knows about Feng's twisted personality and her weird hobbies, and Feng herself knows it too. She's lazy, she's selfish and she's mean. So really, when she's struck with the horrible force of her boredom, what else could she do than to sate her building desires?

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><p>Please feed me with Reviews :) Thanks a lot.<p> 


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

Everyone knows that Hatake Kakashi has never taken any serious interest in anything and anyone aside from the situation in the midst of the battle and, of course, his favorite Icha Icha Book. And considering that little orange book he would always carry with him, one would deduce that, yes, Hatake Kakashi is one heck of a sucker for major dramas - even if he himself does not wish to partake in the story and prefers to be the audience.

However, no matter how much he likes the different twists and turns of real life situations, he must say that even he has creased his eyebrow when he heard the little conversation of Sakura and the other girls. He was secretly perched up a tree in the garden, reading his favorite book when he heard Sakura's claim. The way Sakura belittled her relationship with Sai was troubling to say the least, but the girl also had to talk about Sasuke the way she did when she was younger. And even if he likes interesting stories, he would have to say _'__no__' _to this one.

First of all, he knows about the budding _something_ going on between Sasuke and Naruto. He would have to be blind not to notice the way Sasuke would sit a little closer to Naruto, or the closeness when they would stand beside each other, or even the _tenderness_ in those onyx eyes whenever they landed on the blonde. And Naruto, though obviously a little shy and embarrassed and all those dramas, still wouldn't step away from the affection Sasuke was showering him. It was all too surreal, all too unbelievable and out of character for his two students to go mushy like that. Well, not too unbelievable to the point that he was awkward with the changes because the two, no matter how they look at each other, still throw insults and snide in crude remarks with every chance they got. In a sense, they were still the young idiots Kakashi knew – just with the added sugary moments.

He knows about them, even the tension when they were still twelve, and thus he knows that Sakura, no matter how hard she tries, would never be able to snatch away Sasuke's eyes. That had been the situation when they were younger, and that was still the situation now. Then and now, throughout the years, there was only Naruto in his eyes. What he doesn't understand is for Sakura not to notice the closeness of the two boys, or if she was just choosing to ignore it and label the affections under _'__best __friend__' _category.

The most important reason, however, that he does not, in any way, support of Sakura in her Sasuke chase, was because of the existence of her newly developed relationship with Sai. It would be cheating, in short.

Honestly, Kakashi was more than shocked when he heard of the news that Sakura started dating Sai. He raked his brains, looking for the reason why the girl would do that when he knows that she was still stuck with the idea of being in love with Sasuke. He wondered why Sai chose to go out with her when the boy knew that her love lies far away, somewhere, within the last Uchiha-boy. Did they think that they would never come across Sasuke again that they chose to move on? And Sakura, did she choose Sai over Lee who was courting her for so many years now, because of Sai's resemblance with Sasuke?

Kakashi stopped thinking about those questions though, and thought that maybe he just missed something that happened between his two teammates. Maybe while he wasn't looking, something developed between the two that got them attracted with each other.

But after hearing Sakura's slip of _'__agreed __to __try __being __a __couple__'_, Kakashi couldn't help but think that the relationship between the two was nothing more than a curious venture, and not out of mutual love. Anyway, why would someone _in__love_ say something as cruel as _'__agreed __to __try__… __sorta, __kinda__'_?

Soft rustle of clothes got Kakashi looking down the garden once again. The girls has finished their laundry for quite some time now, leaving him in peace and alone, that is until he saw the other blonde man – Oryu, he was called – sneaking in the garden.

The very first time he saw Oryu, he has already accepted that the guy would most probably shun him away because Oryu was simply the type of person that does not sit well with Kakashi's personality. Oryu was stern, stiff, and proper, the total opposite of Kakashi's own laid-back personality. He knew that, of course, which is why he chose to stay away as much as possible from the spectacled blonde. Because no matter how much he likes dramas, he was just not a fan of it when he's in it.

He has to admit though, that he likes how Oryu looks. Since last night (they got to be roommates, of all people), Kakashi would find his eyes secretly following Oryu's every actions. Now, if only Oryu would cease to frown every minute…

Kakashi watched as Oryu took a tentative glance at the area before walking directly below the tree Kakashi was perched that got the copy-nin tensed to the extreme. His relaxed breathing quietened down one would think he almost stopped breathing at all, and he didn't dare move an inch in fear that Oryu might sense him. However, when Oryu's face melted into a sweet, unthreatening, innocent, and so fucking beautiful smile, Kakashi found his breath stuck in his throat. Still, he did not make any sound. It was almost like he was in the battlefield, waiting for a chance to ambush.

"Hello there, little sunshines." Oryu cooed, like how a mother would to her infant child (that got Kakashi almost falling where he was sitting at), to what seems to be the fully bloomed cornflowers in pink, white, and purple shades, different colors and types of lilies, daisies, daffodils and other flowers Kakashi couldn't even imagine to name but looks good all the same. Oryu grabbed a little sprinkler, swishing it gently over the varieties while quietly humming a song.

It was an amazing sight for Kakashi, something that sneakily made his lips twitch into a smile. He wouldn't have thought of Oryu, the guy with the almost permanent scowl in his face, the guy who was the acting strict father of Naruto's group, has also got this side in him.

This just shattered every image of a scowling Oryu inside Kakashi's mind. Now, no matter how much of a scowl and frown Oryu keeps showing him, Kakashi would just never look at him the same way again. For sure, every time he gets to look at Oryu, he would see the awkwardly sweet guy secretly taking care of the flowers.

Imagining of how the stern man would react when he finds out that Kakashi knows his secret almost got the ninja laughing out loud. Still, he choked in the laughter out of dread of what Oryu might pull once he was discovered.

It was funny. It was amazing. It was sweet. And Kakashi found himself drawn in. He was actually starting to consider to jump down and surprise the blonde man and tease him to no end no matter the consequence, (he has good reflexes and battle skills anyway), if not for someone from the inside calling out for everyone to gather.

He watched as Oryu jumped out of his skin in shock with a _"__Gah!__" _when the voice resonated, that he accidentally dropped the sprinkle. The blonde was frozen for a moment, before flushing in embarrassment. He took a glance left and right, when he found no one, he sighed and cleared his throat, a hand pushing up his glasses into rightful position – his stern looking mask put properly into place before trotting inside the house.

When he was out of sight, Kakashi let out a quiet and nervous snicker, his eyes still looking at where the blonde disappeared. That snickers, however, turned into full awkward laugh when his eyes darted back to the flowers, remembering the cooing Oryu made.

_Now __I __want __to __see __more. _Kakashi thought, the fear of being in a drama himself totally forgotten.

…

"We're going back to Konoha." Naruto's statement just wiped off every amusement Kakashi got before coming in the meeting. No one reacted for a while, as if they were still processing what Naruto just announced or maybe waiting for the _'__just __joking!__'_ part.

"No. No way." Sakura instantly disagreed once she has finished her part of thinking. "I knew that you were stupid back when we were young, but I didn't know you were _that_ stupid." She exclaimed that earned her numerous raised eyebrows. "I mean, come on! Did you think we were sent out here by Tsunade to escort you _back_to Konoha? Naruto, we were actually sent here to _prevent_ you from going back. The Hokage must have predicted you would go out there once you hear the news, which is why we were dispatched. So, no, you're not going back, and that's final. I can't believe how _stupid_ you are." The girl grumbled the last sentence as an after thought.

Suigetsu let out a long whistle, though clearly torn to being amused by Sakura's exclamations or annoyed by her mightier-than-though attitude towards the youngest blonde. His interruption however, got him an irritated glare from the bubblegum. Naruto on the other hand, chose to watch them even if it was fairly obvious that he wasn't even listening to an ounce of what Sakura said.

"I don't like the way she talks." Keisuke not so quietly commented in which Yukari nodded.

Sakura snapped at the two. "I don't care whether you like the way I talk or not, but what I said cannot be changed. It's not open for discussion. You, Naruto," she turned back to the blonde, "are not going back, end of story."

Kakashi watched as Naruto's group all harboured icy glares. Even Oryu, the sweet guy posing as a strict father, glared mightily at the floor, his hands clutching a tea cup shaking violently in what Kakashi could only think of as result of suppressed rage.

"I don't like you." Keisuke silently seethed.

"Well, I'm sorry, but with things going on, I don't care enough for you to like me. We have orders to follow." As she said those, Yukari silently walked towards her. The young girl's face did not show anything that she might be thinking, she just glided towards her like a serpent, crimson eyes showing nothing but cold hatred. Slowly, she raised her right hand, index finger sticking out and pointing to the kunoichi. That particular action alone raised the tension of the room into a deafening level, the atmosphere seemingly dropped into a freezing point.

The light seemed to have dimmed considerably. The bells inside Kakashi's head screamed _'__Warning: __Danger!__' _so loud his survival instincts that he got from different life-threatening situations kicked in, opting him to do something, to grab a kunai or just get the hell out of there. All in all, it felt like something was bound to happen. In the corner of Kakashi's eyes, he saw how Suigetsu tensed and grabbed the hilt of his sword, eyes focused on the little girl, ready to fight for his life if needed.

Sai was also in the same state, his fake smile wiped out of his face replaced by a serious, though confused one. The boy could positively feel the threat alright, even if they didn't know where it was coming.

_What __in __the __world __is __going __on __here? _Kakashi thought as a single bead of sweat rolled down his face.

"Watch your tongue, girl." Yukari quietly uttered. "You don't know who you're talking to."

"Yukari." Naruto called out, but was ignored by the two girls staring at each other rather intently.

"Why do I have to watch my tongue?" Sakura challenged. Kakashi didn't know if she could feel the tension or not, but he was sure his head just labelled Sakura as an idiot for not heeding any warning. She just stupidly made herself the object of hatred of Naruto's team. "It's just Naruto, so why do I have to watch my words? Aren't you the one who should know her place? You're talking to someone older than you, little girl."

If anything, the temperature just dropped more, drastically, if possible. Now, Kakashi really grabbed a kunai, along with Sai and Sasuke's team. Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo has already stood up, though they were standing close to the wall. Sai was on the verge of standing up, his knees propped up.

"I'm starting to hate you." Yukari said, and they were so deadly sure that she was about to do something if Naruto didn't interrupt quickly enough.

"That's enough!" Naruto firmly commanded. Something Kakashi didn't know Naruto was capable of. Proving Kakashi once more that Naruto was, indeed, the number one ninja of surprise.

The little girl looked scandalized as her head turned to the blonde. "But Naruto!" She whined like the child she was, though still a little reserved and polite. "Why did you stop me? Why are you letting that girl do as she wants?"

Naruto smiled kindly at her. "It's okay, Yukari. She's a friend."

The girl looked like she wanted to say something more, but refrained herself knowing the consequence if she did more of something he didn't like. So she huffed and stomped and walked back to sit beside Keisuke. There, she sulked, sending little waves of hatred to Sakura through her crimson eyes.

After the tension was gone, Suigetsu exclaimed with an _'__Ah!__'_ that made almost everybody flinch. "Naruto! Why din't ya do dat quickly when she first did zat to me?" Suigetsu whined, clearly recalling his little incident with Yukari the very first time he got there. Those who weren't there to witness that little incident however, just looked confusedly from one person to another.

Naruto grinned nervously. "Ah, well, you have a body made of water. And Sakura doesn't. It makes a lot of difference, you know."

"Like hell, it did!"

"Sorry, sorry." Naruto laughed. "Anyway, Kakashi, I'm going to have your group to return back first since it would be suspicious for a group as large as this to come at once, with you no less. But you can leave after the necessary preparations. Take this time to rest properly. I know you had difficulty in searching for me."

Kakashi looked at the blonde levelly. It's not that he wanted to side with Sakura, but they really had their orders directly from the Hokage. Who knows what kind of wrath they would have to face when they reappear in Konoha with Naruto in tow? Everyone knew Tsunade had a temper, and Kakashi was in no rush to test that temper of hers. "No offence Naruto, but you do realize that we can't just let you back, right? It's against our orders."

Naruto looked at him in understanding, his eyes shining in unknown wisdom, not the usual confused look he used to get back when Naruto was twelve who was still pretending, still hiding.

It was honestly new for Kakashi to see Naruto expose his true self.

He has watched the boy since he was young, albeit secretly. He knows that no matter how happy or energetic or damn cheerful Naruto was in front of his friends, he knew that there was another side of him that a few knows existed. It was probably his safe way of living, his way of making sure the hostility of the villagers does not increase ten folds. It was something that made Kakashi's chest twist and turn in an uncomfortable manner. He understood that the kid didn't want more of the bruises, the pain, the cold eyes, and he felt for him. He also knew, of course, that it was purely human to hate more when the object they fear most acquires knowledge, strength, or power. It was all so human, but Kakashi still loathed it. Every time he would see Naruto hide in the confines of his apartment and shed his mask, a little bit of Kakashi would hate the situation more.

So now that he sees Naruto shows what he really feels inside, Kakashi couldn't be happier. He doesn't know what type of people his group are, or their personalities in the whole, or their history, but knowing that his student was so relaxed around them that he could be what he really is, Kakashi could honestly forget the interrogation part and just accept it.

"You don't have to worry about that." Naruto grinned. "I've already covered it. I'm not going to send you to your early graves, you know. I know how that old hag can be so mean sometimes."

"Well, then, until the Godaime herself gives her word, we're going to stay here. Deal?"

"Wait a dang minute." Sakura whispered, her face full of defiance of Naruto. "What gives you the right to decide? You're not our leader. What makes you think everyone would listen to what your idiotic self says?"

"Probably because we're going to fucking follow what his _idiotic __self_ says when he damn says so!" Someone snapped. It was Kakashi's first time hearing Sho speak since last night, and it just proved his assumption that the boy was how he looked: sharp and straight to the point. Hearing him speak so… _eloquently_ just had Kakashi looking back and forth between Sho and Sasuke, noticing the resemblance of attitudes and personalities. "And if you're not fucking satisfied, don't worry, we can always fucking leave you behind!"

"Don't curse at me!" Sakura retaliated. "And what makes you think Sasuke-kun would follow Naruto's lead? Right, Sasuke-kun?"

At that, Sasuke finally snapped. He has been listening silently to the exchange and to Sakura's wailings that got him irritated like no other, or probably the same way Karin does, and he didn't like the way the girl questioned every single damn thing. "Shut up!" He hissed. "You're fucking annoying."

Sakura blanched at that, so Naruto immediately stepped between the cross-fire before more cursing and blows happens. "Maa, maa. Calm down, minna."

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "This is why I told you not to act so ridiculously every damn time since we were young!"

"Oh? You knew?"

"Of course, I fucking knew! Who ever believed your acts would really be stupid! And I must say, there were lots of those stupid idiots who actually believed you were all _that._"

"Hey, don't call them stupid." Naruto glared back. "I was just probably really good at acting."

Kakashi watched the exchange with fond eyes. _So __it __wasn__'__t __just __me __and __the __Sandaime __who __knew __of __Naruto__'__s __acting __abilities._

At that moment, a quiet pop stopped whatever fight was brewing between the two of them, and revealed the smaller version of Gamakichi with a scroll attached behind. "Yo! Naruto."

"Yo!" Naruto grinned. "Did you get it?"

Gamakichi crossed his arms, a glare marring his toad-ly face. "You do know what kind of hell you just put me through, right? Damnit, the Hokage is not a force to belittle despite old age. She almost wrecked her whole office! She would have if not for the fact that my visits are secret. Damn, Naruto! You really have the knack of making her angry."

The blonde laughed heartily at that. "I know, I know. And? Is it mission accomplished?"

The little toad stuck up his nose in the air in what seemed to be a boastful manner. "Of course! Who do you think I am?" With that, he gave the scroll he was carrying to Naruto, and disappeared after a little _'__thanks__'_.

Kakashi eyed Naruto as the kid read the newly arrived scroll. He was practically oozing glee through his skin as he read the letter, which Kakashi could only think was from the Hokage herself after Naruto's short exchange with Gamakichi.

"Here." Naruto handed him the scroll afterwards, and he sceptically accepted. After reading it though, he had to wonder what kind of influence Naruto has or what tricks he did for actually achieving something to be thought of as impossible.

It was a scroll from Tsunade ordering them to return back to Konoha.

Kakashi sighed. "Well, since it's official, we're going to have to go with your plan." He concluded that earned him a small gasp from Sakura. "Anyway, how are you going to enter Konoha in your state?"

Naruto grinned brightly to him from ear to ear before turning to Oryu. The stern man just looked at him calmly, as if that single glance was enough for a message to be conveyed, before Oryu replied, "I'm on it."

* * *

><p>Just a little filler chap. Although I have to admit I just wanted Sakura to make a racket. It spurs on the story. No offence to Sakura lovers.<p> 


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Oryu exasperatedly sighed, the scroll clutched tightly in his hands slammed non-too gently at the low table of the living room, although almost none took notice. His silver eyes automatically searched past the veranda to the world outside. It was already dark, too dark actually to still be sitting there and reading scrolls. It should already be past midnight, but he couldn't stop what he was doing. It was far too important to be left for tomorrow.

He looked back at the scroll he was reading. The italics title _Advanced __Sealing _glaring back at him with mockery for he couldn't find what they needed in there. Earlier that day, Naruto has declared that he was going back to Konoha, and truthfully, Oryu wasn't fond of that idea. He cares for the little kid too much to actually like the idea of him going back to that dangerous place filled with people who has abandoned him, but he respects Naruto too much to do what that bubblegum kunoichi did and blatantly call him stupid. Besides, even if he dislikes standing face to face with those people who shunned their leader before, he still believes on Naruto, his power, his will, and his heart, so he would just sit back and watch and support him, ready to pounce on anything and anyone whenever a threat comes too close. That's their role anyway – his and his group mates' main role.

"You're looking at him disgustingly, four-eyes." Oryu cringed at the high-pitched voice that broke through his reverie. No, actually, that was the reason he couldn't focus on what he was doing in the first place.

Silver eyes glanced sideways at those two bickering girls, arguing about every little things, who's better on what, who's suited to be with Sasuke, who knows more than the other. It was annoying. If it just wasn't against Naruto's laws, he would have released his wrath already and banish those two subjects of his irritation into the world of oblivion, never to be released again. But that's it, it was against Naruto's laws so he wouldn't have the chance to actually do what he wanted.

Seriously though, he really was wondering what they were doing here with them. He was researching on how to mask Naruto and Sasuke's chakra for entering Konoha, Naruto was probably doing the same based on his look trying to concentrate on what he was reading although unsuccessful because of the noise. Sasuke was reading whatever scrolls and books thrown his way, rereading what Naruto has already read in case the blonde has skipped something essential, all the while sitting close to Naruto, too close actually for Oryu's liking; not that Oryu could blame the guy for sticking with Naruto when the two have been inseparable since day one. The two girls however, weren't even holding much less researching with them. Okay, maybe Sakura tried to read earlier, but the book was forgotten once Karin entered, and so began their bickering. They were just so noisy without contributing anything.

"Ugh…" Naruto silently groaned, his hands subconsciously rubbing his abused ear.

Oryu sighed once again, a habit he has noticed to frequent him for the past month, especially the past few days.

_Damn it. I need a breather._

So the older blonde stood up gracefully and silently and went to the kitchen – a choice which he immediately regretted, because there, sitting in one of the corners of the table was the abomination in the form of Kakashi, holding a book. An orange book.

He felt his face muscle pulled a bit, he must have scowled once he saw that silver haired jounin; but then again, when has he ever _not_scowled? And by the looks he received from Kakashi, he could tell that the ninja didn't like his scowling face – not that he cared either way, because he doesn't like the guy.

Kakashi screams everything Oryu loathed – laid-back personality (but Sho is pretty much laid back), lazy (but Feng is the embodiment of the word itself), carefree (Naruto is carefree to the point it's worrying), unorganized (Keisuke's mind and way of living is), and eyes which can see through anything (Yukari's crimson eyes aren't just inquisitive but creepy as hell). He really hates Kakashi's personality (but he doesn't hate his groupmates).

Oryu mentally groaned. Fine. Maybe it's not Kakashi's personality, maybe what he hates is the guy himself. Maybe he was just fed up with dealing with his teammates so seeing a guy with five different person's personality inside one body was just too much for him.

_Yea, __that __must __be __it. _Because if not, then how come he gets antsy just by the guy's mere presence?

Settling his chaotic mind in place once again, Oryu grabbed a glass for a cold drink, but before he could fill it, he stopped when Kakashi opened his always, _always, _disastrous mouth and asked.

"Why are you acting so goddamn stiff when you're the type of guy who talks to a damn flower?"

In the living room, Naruto suddenly spluttered in choked laughter before paling considerably when his sensitive ears heard a cracking glass. The change in his face worried Sasuke a bit, but the raven didn't dare ask what happened. His guts were telling him it was a dangerous field.

That moment, there was just one thing in Oryu's mind.

_He saw… He saw! Must kill!_

…

He was just innocently sitting there, thinking of the situation at hand.

Kakashi was thinking of different reasons why the council has secretly ordered of Naruto's assassination. Logically thinking, the council could have ordered the kill a year ago, in the beginning of Naruto's banishment. Why wait until now? It's true that he and his team only discovered Naruto's location by pure luck when Naruto was inside his sealed room, and thus cutting off his awareness to his surroundings, so the council must have found it difficult to find the blonde during all those times that he was aware.

However, isn't it too much of a coincidence that the council has issued the assassination once Madara has begun to move? Most of all, the Hokage knew of Madara's plan just pretty recently, which was why his group was sent out. The council knew of the impending danger much, much sooner than the Hokage herself. He couldn't help but doubt that the council found out about it thru their informant and spies whatsoever, because if the information really was from a legit source, shouldn't the Hokage know about that first?

He must be over thinking things, or maybe he's just paranoid, but Kakashi couldn't help but feel a hunch that the council has done something more…

Aside from that issue, the council also has another plan: kill Sasuke Uchiha.

After all those years that the young Uchiha has been a runaway, they have issued order to find him and kill him, but never to this extent where ANBU squads were constantly on the move. Kakashi has a fairly good idea why, though, and he pretty much sure it has everything to do with a certain blonde. Now that the village has banished Naruto from its grounds, they must think that a very high chance of the two best friends walking in on each other, Naruto with his Sasuke-disease, would join in on the revenge against them. And with Kyuubi on Sasuke's side, what with his sharingan ability of controlling the Kyuubi, Konoha would really face a tragic end.

They should have known that Sasuke and Naruto being a pair is a force to reckon with, so why the hell did they choose to banish Naruto, thus making the higher possibility of the duo to join forces? Were they really that desperate to make sure that Konoha would be safe once the seal deteriorates that they forgot about greater risks? Perhaps they thought of what was best during the time.

No one could have foreseen that even a year later, Naruto would still be in control. They must have thought that given a month or so after his banishment, he would die with the Kyuubi's excessive chakra. That would be a pretty good explanation why they waited for a year before taking actions. That's right, without any news of the Kyuubi's chakra flaring and exploding like what they expected from Naruto's fate, they must have started to panic.

He was thinking things through seriously, secretly making back up plans if something goes wrong, when he smelt a very faint lavender in the air. That smell alone was distracting enough that he broke through his 'meditation', only to find Oryu stepping inside the kitchen. And once again, just seeing the sight of that flower lover constructed his breathe like waiting to ambush. Oryu's scowling face, however, contorted even deeper at the sight of him.

Now, Kakashi always knew that their personalities collides and he expected that they would always clash, but seeing Oryu scowl even more at the mere sight of him really hurt his ego.

Single eye watched Oryu's every careful movement with curiosity.

Frankly speaking, ever since their first stay here, Kakashi has been mesmerized by Oryu's movements. The blonde move fluidly, gracefully so that it was illegal. More so at night, since they happened to share a room, would Kakashi eye him. No, not in a perverted way. Well, maybe a bit, at the farthest and darkest corner of his demented mind. The point is, he really finds it hard not to look at him. Especially when Oryu was sleeping. He has this peaceful look, his face free of wrinkles and frowns, lips slightly parted it was almost inviting, hair dishevelled a bit that got Kakashi holding on tightly to his sanity.

No, Kakashi never had any preferences in sexuality. He's a man, and yes, he go to brothels for a quick release and he doesn't care what orientation his partner was so long as he was satisfied. So, no, he wasn't questioning his manliness at all.

Still, Kakashi couldn't say that he was _just _lusting after Oryu. No, he wasn't too low to aim for his student's friend. It's just that, there was something in that strict person that would tickle something inside him.

And thus, before he could think of anything more, that something was already tickled and he couldn't stop his mouth any longer.

"Why are you acting so goddamn stiff when you're the type of guy who talks to a damn flower?"

Kakashi watched as Oryu's pretty face changed from shock, turning pale, flushing red, murderous look, back to his calm and strict demeanour. It was all too funny that Kakashi couldn't help but grin madly.

_Now, if you'd show me that kind of face I would want to tease you more…_

"I don't know what you're talking about." The guy answered before picking up the shattered glass on the floor.

"'_Hello __there __little __sunshines.__' _Was what you said. And I have you know that I have a perfect memory." From where Kakashi was sitting, he could perfectly see the pink flush of Oryu's ear, almost complimenting his long blonde hair. Kakashi mentally asked how Oryu would look if he was flushed in a different way, with dishevelled look and panting profusely. Still, he stopped his track of thoughts, pushing away that emerging temptation to where it was just a second ago: at the farthest corner of his mind.

"What I do is none of your business."

Kakashi had to give it to Oryu though, his voice never wavered. And he would have been convinced if not for the fact that Oryu's ears were flushed, all the way to his neck, added with a trembling hands while he pick up the pieces of broken glass.

Before Kakashi could think of anything else, his feet were already bringing him closer to the blonde in denial. He menacingly watched as Oryu shakily stood up and backed up against the sink with a guarded expression.

_What would I give to see that guard crumbling down._

Kakashi leaned in close, so close that the lavender smell attacked his nose and he savoured every moment of it. Silver pools stared defiantly at him, and Kakashi was in a trance. His mind conjured up different scenarios where he broke those spectacles just to see that shining orbs, clothes torn apart, breathes mingling… He kept reminding himself about Naruto, that he wasn't that low to come onto his student's father figure, but the images inside his mind never diminished, if anything, it was more vivid inside his mind that any reason and logic was clouded by it.

"W… what?" Oryu tried to snap, and that little slip up of a stutter was like a war accomplishment for Kakashi.

Long fingers brushed against Oryu's bangs and the guy flinched and flushed, all the while scowling. "Hm." Kakashi leaned in a bit more. "You smell nice. Like a lavender."

As if it was the cue words to break the magic spell, Oryu snapped back to reality and push him hard before walking away, out of the kitchen, while stuttering, "I-I'm not! I don't smell nice! I'm not a girl!"

Kakashi stood there, unmoving, until his shoulders shook in quiet laughter. He looked at his fingerless-gloved hands, the hand he used to touch those golden strands. He could still feel the threads against his fingers, it was tingling.

_You make me want to tease you more._

Just like that, Kakashi got another dose of his favourite past time of interesting entertainment. The idea the he was involved in that very tangle, and that he didn't want to be involved with it, long forgotten.

…

Sasuke has never been this thankful for those years of training he had, that he has now learned how to tune out the noise he didn't want to hear. He was thankful before, in his genin days, because he got to tune out Kakashi's flirty tendencies, and thus having avoided retching then and there. But he was so grateful now that he could tune out both Karin and Sakura.

It's not like it wasn't any secret that he was so annoyed with rambling fan girls, and it's not a secret he loathes girls. Well, he didn't know the reason why before, but he knows now. It's because he never found them interesting, what with his sole attention always dragged back to a certain dobe. It's not like he was gay either, because truthfully speaking, he was never attracted to anyone. Naruto was really just special.

So now that he knows the reason he was so irritated with girls, that irritation turned so close to pure rage. If only Naruto wouldn't hate him if he slashes those girls once or twice, he would have done so already. And he would make damn sure to hit on the vocal chords.

Onyx eyes automatically fell on the blonde beside him, reading quietly, or at least, trying to. His golden brows turned down into a frown, eyes squinted, lips bitten lightly. He looked adorable doing those, and he mentally slapped himself with his use of words. Still, Naruto was trying to find a way for them to enter Konoha safely. If it was all up to Sasuke, he would rather barge in on the front door, but he has Naruto's feelings to consider now. He wouldn't do anything to make this happiness shatter into million of pieces just because of his stupidity. He has already hurt both of them once, depriving them of _this_, whatever this is that he could call them, depriving of happiness. And now that Sasuke has had a taste of this bliss, he would be damned to let go now.

He saw a trail of sweat along whiskered cheeks, and Sasuke's meter turned red. Eyes blazing red with swirling sharingan, he snapped his neck to the two arguing banshees and dangerously hissed, "Leave!"

Two pair of wide eyes stared at him, arguments halted, their hands hanging in the air in whatever motion they were supposed to be. They were stupidly gaping at him, so he roared. "Now!"

Sasuke savoured the silence for a second, before a quiet sigh got him looking back to Naruto. The blonde rubbed his eyes tiredly, a gesture that got Sasuke's eyes turning back to normal, but much, much gentler.

"Thanks. You've no idea how much I needed that…" Naruto said as he placed the scroll back down to the coffee table carefully.

"Why don't you just snap at them like how you snap at your teammates?" He watched with a little bit of amusement as Naruto inched closer to him before the blonde carefully laid his head on Sasuke's lap. The raven inwardly smirked at that, before leaning closer to clasp Naruto's hands in his own and snaking their joined hands around the blonde's smaller figure.

"Hm, well, Sakura has no idea how I really am. And I'd hate it if I shock her too much. I think dropping hints here and there occasionally everyday is better." Naruto cuddled closer.

"Tch. You're too considerate for your own good it's mortifying. Why are you keeping up your sense of hearing in the heights when you're so bothered by every little noise?"

Naruto scrunched up his nose. "Well, I didn't really need to put thoughts into keeping it down before because my group is considerate enough of me. And they don't just go and talk important things out loud around me because they know I would hear. But now…" He sighed. "I really need to push it down to normal… or as normal as I could be. Kyuubi has been doing it slowly too since their arrival, said she didn't want to shock me by waking up one day without hearing anything."

Sasuke didn't need to hear it out loud, but seeing Naruto so stressed out, he knew the blonde was really worried about the situation in Konoha. And Sasuke knows how Naruto shouldn't really be involved, but still couldn't stand the thought of doing nothing. And the fact that Naruto himself has told him not to leave him alone by himself once again really made Sasuke's stomach fly. He knew he shouldn't be thrilled about going to Konoha with Naruto because of the dangers, but it's exactly because he was with Naruto that he couldn't help but be overjoyed.

He really was turning into a cheesy moron.

Taking a deep breath to keep himself in control, he squeezed Naruto's hand a little tighter, and smiled when he received a squeeze back.

* * *

><p>Okay. I hurried up because some good things are going to happen soon.<p>

You guys should know that the **next chapter** contains **Mature content**. And I'm kinda squeezing my scheds so I can write fast. But I can't promise an exact date when I can update. Maybe a week, or not. Becuase, truthfully, Sex Scene is just so difficult to write. :)

Reviews please.


	15. Chapter 14

**WARNING!** Okay, as I said before, this chapter contains **sexual scene**. I'm not sure if I'm gifted enough to write smut but I tried anyway. haha. I don't know if I described good and detailed, and FYI, it really was hard to write sex scene considering the characters. Oh fuck. Whatever. Hahaha.

**Chapter 14:**

Naruto anxiously waited for the announcement. Earlier that day, Oryu has found the solution to their problem, something to help them into sneaking inside Konoha. What that is however, Naruto has no idea. All he knows is, whatever that is, it would be damned amazing for their chakra signatures to be completely hidden. But Naruto knows that mass-production of whatever that is, is highly dangerous. Spies and enemies could come in a perfectly peaceful village and ruin everything down.

Still, the thing is exceptionally awesome. He didn't know that something like that exists, he hasn't read anything like that in all the scrolls he has read. And he was too scared to peek into Kyuubi's memory.

Sky blue eyes wandered to the other blonde man in the room. All this time, Naruto has been noticing how the usually perfect man, Oryu, fidgeted and sweats. It was an unusual sight for him, simply because Oryu isn't one to be intimidated. In fact, Oryu's role should be the intimidator. Now, Naruto couldn't believe that their perfect model has been reduced to a nervously fidgeting school girl. And he has the idea as to why.

Kakashi.

It was because of Kakashi. He was sure of that, and not just because of what he 'accidentally' heard from the kitchen the other day before he tuned down his hearing to normal. No, even if he didn't hear Kakashi's not so subtle question why Oryu acts so goddamn stiff all the time when he's the kind of person who coos a goddamn flower, Naruto would still know it was because of Hatake Kakashi that got Oryu reduced to a bumbling state. Even Keisuke, the airhead in so many ways, could see.

Naruto is not one for fantasizing; he has never even fantasized about another person sexually even if that other person was Sasuke. Or perhaps it was precisely because the other person was Sasuke that he never fantasized? Either way, he has never dreamt nor thought of perversion. Make no mistake though, he's still a healthy guy, minus the perverted part. It's just that, when one has a certain nine-tailed fox inside your very own body, one has to learn to be vigilant all the fucking time since birth. There was neither time nor space in his already worried mind to think of something more worrisome.

When he turned the age of starting to think what sex means however, which was when he was ten by the way, there was already a Sasuke in his life (even if he didn't know it at the time). That was when that perverted sage appeared and ruined everything. Before he could even dare to think about sex between people, he has already seen enough with vivid images and high quality live action to scar him his whole life.

So, no, he never got the chance to fantasize. That doesn't mean he's a noob, though, and he's just what, seventeen! And Oryu is much older than him, has much experience in life. So, if Naruto could see that not so hidden lust directed to the spectacled blonde from Kakashi's gaze, he sure as hell understands why Oryu was bothered. Oryu most probably could almost feel the intangible hands perverting its way on him…

An obviously annoyed, irritated, and close to snapping grunt from his right caught Naruto's attention. He knew that grunt well, and he didn't need to look what was happening for Sasuke to create such a noise, but Naruto still turned and inwardly smirked.

Sakura and Karin has ambushed either of Sasuke's side, both desperately trying to inch a little closer, decreasing the distance. Watching Sasuke's reaction was funny, because he was making it painfully obvious to everyone that he was clearly not enjoying himself. Yes, it was funny, but Naruto would be a hypocrite to say there wasn't a bit pang of jealousy inside him. It's because he knows that no matter how close he really is to Sasuke physically and emotionally, he could never show his feelings as blatant as the girls do. Reasons were a common sense.

But Naruto's heart aches not just for that. His heart also twisted in pain for a certain unemotional boy who was silently watching with a straight face as his girlfriend Sakura tries to flirts with another guy. Naruto could only empathize with how Sai was probably feeling – because he himself knows what it feels like to be abandoned. It was temporarily forgotten though when he felt a heat against his shoulders to find Sasuke sitting close to him, too close in fact that their shoulders almost melded into one.

"Fucking annoyance." Sasuke muttered, and he chuckled. "Not funny."

"Teme, if looks could kill, I'd be dead by now. They're practically trying to make a hole on me."

"Tch. Leave them. It's not like no one knew I hate being touched."

"Huh, but you're touching me. See?" He emphasized it with leaning more against their touching shoulders.

"Moron." Sasuke scoffed. "You're different. As if they could ever be you."

Naruto's mind instantly mended, _'You're__different__because__you're__a__guy.__And__you're__his__best__friend.'_However his oh so traitorous heart threw all fucking logic away out the window, chained the sills, locked it, before skipping a one good mile of a beat.

_Heart, you really are one stupid meat…_

He heard a loud laugh from his mind's tenant as an answer to his thoughts. Before he could argue with Kyuubi though, Oryu has already caught his attention with a force clearing of his throat.

"As you all know, we're going back to Konoha." No one dared to interrupt Oryu to whatever he was saying, instead, everyone's undivided attention focused on him. "And I've just found the solution to our problem."

Silence stretched, as if a dramatic pause for the climax of an action movie. "I would be needing a flower. Not just any flower, though, this flower is special. It's a concealing flower, and like the name implies, it conceals almost everything. Smell, presence, chakra signatures… Acquiring it, however, is almost impossible."

Naruto gulped.

"It's a rare flower, almost no one has ever seen it. According to the book, it only blooms in a special environment that could accommodate its special needs."

"How are we going to get it if we don't even know where in the world it's located?" Sakura intellectually intervened, earning a raised eyebrow from Oryu. "You're not going to tell us to explore the world, are you? I mean, it could take forever! And we never know, it might start sprouting up just after we leave the place, right?"

The short interruption was enough to earn a rather loud groan from Keisuke. "If you'd just listen for once, maybe he has already told us what we're going to do using those seconds you wasted."

Sakura was about to retort, and truthfully, Naruto never thought Oryu was one to snap, but the older blonde just did, effectively cutting off whatever argument was about to start. "If you'd just both kept quiet, I would have finished explaining with those seconds you have wasted! Now, shut up!"

Silence instantly fell among them, and both Keisuke and Sakura had the decency to at least look repentant. Satisfied that the order was again put into place, Oryu cleared his throat once more before continuing. "Indeed, the flower is difficult to find, which is why we are lucky that I know a certain place that has a hundred percent possibility of the flower existing there. However, as I explained before, the flower is special and needs a special place to suit its special needs. Meaning, the place is no ordinary place. It's a place where humans, nor animals, wouldn't be able to find, nor enter."

"Then it's basically useless, isn't it? No matter even if you know the place, if people can't enter the place, how are we going to acquire the flower?" Sakura inquired again, this time more carefully and respectful than before that got Kei and Yukari smirking.

"Why would I even suggest this if I wasn't sure that we'd be successful in taking it?" Oryu challenged, his scowling face even sharper than normal due to decreasing patience. But Sakura wouldn't back down in the name of knowledge.

"But you just said that people can't enter that place. It would have been fine if animals were an exception, then we could use summons, but even animals cannot enter the sanctuary you're talking about. What more chance do we have?"

"Little girl…" Oryu's patience snapped, his scowling face calmed down replaced by an icy and merciless stare. "Whoever said we are humans?"

"Oryu." Naruto's firm voice immediately cut off Oryu, silently warning the older blonde to not continue whatever more he was going to say.

In the slip of a tongue, silence icier than ever enveloped the whole living room. Tension was practically crackling in the air, and nobody dared to breathe. Everyone was still processing what has been said, as if the gears in their brains suddenly stopped running before turning ever so slowly. Even Oryu, the one who slipped the words out of his mouth in the midst of his tried patience, looked as if he was still contemplating why Naruto called him with a promise of a warning.

Oryu blinked, and after almost forever, which was only a second, he gasped and bowed down to his young leader, bead of sweat glistening against the light, eyes shut tightly, eyebrows warped in an almost painful expression. "Forgive me."

However, those two words he uttered added fuel to the fire, only, it was a fuel to an icy fire, and everyone was even more petrified.

Naruto would have slapped his forehead in exasperation if he could, if the action wouldn't speak volumes to those who don't know about them, about their _situation._If the action wouldn't increase the doubt and curiosity of the people around him. So, even if he really was exasperated, he smiled and laughed and scratched his head. "What the-? Don't be so formal, Oryu! That's so unlike you! You're flattering me! Anyway, what more are you going to say?"

Naruto tried to lift the prickling atmosphere, he laughed, he cheered, and ushered Oryu to talk more. But however much he tried, the seed has already been planted. Everyone outside his current team, except perhaps Sasuke who knew a bit, were all itching to scream, _"What__the__hell__is__going__on?"_

"The place," Oryu started once he regained his composure, and everyone pushed their thought aside temporarily, to be thought of later. "It's located in a real distance from here, and it soars up the sky. We need something that can fly."

Kakashi stared as another batch of silence, this time of contemplation, ruled among them. He actually hesitated to offer his help, because seriously, after hearing what was accidentally said, he couldn't help but be curious as to what it was supposed to mean. But no matter how much he tries to think of whatever meaning it holds, he could only think of the obvious – that Oryu and the others, whoever he was referring to, aren't humans. It was the only explanation he could formulate, still, it wasn't enough. Because he could clearly see a human Oryu in front of him.

From the corner of his single eye, Kakashi could perfectly see blank inky, expressionless eyes of Sai. He didn't need to hear the question directed at him, because Sai was clearly inquiring whether he should volunteer or not.

Kakashi wanted to stretch the time a bit longer, see what Naruto's step would be, but he was reminded that this is their mission now, directly from the Hokage. Well, even if it wasn't a mission, he knew that he would have still volunteered a solution if it was for Naruto.

"I'll give you Sai." He calmly exclaimed. "He has flying abilities. But how would he enter that place?"

Silver eyes of Oryu stared at him for a moment, and Kakashi wasn't that delusional to miss the calculating glint in those liquid mercury pools, and yes, just a bit, Kakashi felt the prick of a guilt needle on his skin. "I'll send Feng. As long as he's with her, he'd be able to step in."

…

"What are you looking like a kicked puppy at?" Sasuke asked his best friend who was looking so obviously forlorn.

It's not that Sasuke didn't know where Naruto was looking, what he doesn't understand is why the blonde hurricane would have a look of a broken doll while he looks at Sasuke's replacement, Sai. This isn't the first that he has seen Naruto look at the guy either, and, yes, frankly speaking, he was getting fucking irritated. If not for the fact that he knew how to hide his emotions, he would have been emitting a murderous aura all over the place, simply because he cannot accept Naruto looking with the tiniest bit of _something_ at any other guy. Especially Sho, or Sai, or Kakashi or Oryu, or Keisuke, and most especially _any other fucking guy. _Or girl.

Well, maybe Naruto wasn't looking at the guys like how the blonde would look at him, but he as Sasuke the goddman Uchiha, cannot really decipher what each gaze meant. He just knows, and feels, that Naruto was looking at him differently than the others. Still, he couldn't allow Naruto to look at another with any spark of that which he has, and since he doesn't even know what it actually is, why not just forbid Naruto at literally looking at others?

Sasuke mentally slapped himself. Of course it would be impossible. He should be satisfied now with the way the blonde was treating him and looking at him specially. Not really, though, because no matter how good their relationship is right now, Sasuke still wants more. Something that goes beyond friendship, but that would be for later, when Naruto is ready enough to hear those words.

However, no matter how much he says that he doesn't want Naruto to look at another with tiniest bit of something, what Sasuke really cannot stand is for the blonde to look so pained. Because then, Sasuke wouldn't have any idea what has caused it, and how he would put the smile back again. And right now, Naruto was looking so broken.

"What's wrong?" He gently asked again.

Naruto looked at him with pained blue eyes, before smiling sadly. "Ah, it's nothing." He looked back at Sai. "It's just that… it hurts me to see how Sakura obviously rejects Sai even if they _are_ a couple, just because you're here."

"Ah. They don't look like a couple at all." Sasuke mused, even though slightly surprised with the news. Because yes, he cannot, in any way, see a hint of a lover in the both of them. "Why would you be affected anyway?"

With just one question, Sasuke saw how the blonde tensed, how a spark of pain ignited in the depths of those sky blue eyes, and how his smile quirked in an almost obvious sad smile. "Because, Sasuke, I know how it feels to be abandoned."

And just like that, it was his turn to tense. But Naruto, the ever gracious Naruto, immediately pushed their topic into another direction, seemingly sensing the tension his answer produced in the being of one Sasuke Uchiha. So, with a much graver tone, Naruto cried, "Besides… I'm wondering if it's a good idea to send Feng with him. Well, Yukari would take a lot of time, Keisuke would probably play once he gets there and eventually forgets what he went there for, Sho doesn't have any clue to what the flower is, and Oryu, well, he has to supervise the remaining people. Still…"

Sasuke gulped the air stuck in his throat and forced the words out of his mouth, "Why?"

Naruto chuckled and scratched his whiskered cheek. "Maa, let's just say that she's a bit of a… naughty woman."

"Ara~" The lady in question who was coincidentally passing by them butted in, having heard Naruto's answer. "You hurt me, Naru. I don't force men to bed with me, you know."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, because even if he has _zero__experience_and _almost_ non-existent interest in sex (almost because the urges has started… ehem… recently…), he still has the knowledge of it. That's what one would get when one travels with a sadistic scientist who loves hardcore stuff and a snake paedophile who drowns himself in screams of little kids. And he swore, he swore never to step in that disgusting world with anyone. Never. And he swallowed back his own words after he dreamt of a panting Naruto two weeks ago.

…

Feng glanced at the beauty before her, feeling nostalgic. Everything around her, from the vast varieties of flower, the petals dancing in the wind, the cloudy sky, cool breeze, and up to the smell and the very feel of the place, it was magical – just like the place they were born in. The continuous assault of the very atmosphere against her being slams her hard down through the memory lane, and if she just was an emotional woman, she would have shed a tear or so just in reminiscing.

Jade eyes wandered towards her expressionless companion, who has been looking around the area for the past fifteen minutes without ever shedding his ever sturdy mask. Truthfully speaking, there really wasn't any need to search for the flower they needed, because she knows the exact location (thru Oryu, the wielder of earth, of course). However, looking at Sai carefully and thoroughly scan the area with keen eyes (even though he wouldn't be able to see the damned flower because he's human –not that he knows) was sort of amusing for her. So, why stop the entertainment?

"So," Feng started, a mischievous glint in her jaded eyes. "You and Sakura huh."

The very mention of the girl's name got Sai stopping from searching, and it surprisingly irritated Feng a bit.

"Are you sure?" She mocked confusion. "I mean, the way I see it, you two don't really act like a couple of idiots in love. Like Naruto and Sasuke, but don't tell them that. They're not aware of it yet… I think? Anyway, really? You and Sakura?"

The silence stretched, and for a moment, Feng thought that Sai wouldn't answer. Not that she blames the boy though, because even she knows not to reveal important information to strangers, and they _are_strangers who met just a couple of days ago actually, so why would she expect the boy to answer? Well, tough luck. There goes her plan of seducing him. At the very least, Sai's group would still stay for a few more days, giving her multiple chances to do her self-appointed mission. She was preparing to go and grab the flower they needed, but Sai's soft spoken words halt her every movement.

"We're not in love." The boy answered, as Feng slowly and carefully walked towards him. "It's just that, we sort of decided to get along. It's a two-way advantage for the both of us; she finds the perfect candidate to be Sasuke's replacement while she teaches me how to feel." Sai sat down the ground, nonchalantly speaking all the while searching for what was needed, and Feng sat down beside him without waiting for any invitation, not too close so as not to intimidate the guy, but close enough for him to feel her body heat.

"She made it perfectly clear when we started this, that I'm not to fall in love with her and think that the affection she was showing was for me. It was all pure business." Feng clenched her jaws. She's a sinful woman, and she knows that. She might have been doing the same cruel things Sakura was doing, playing with men and all and making sure it's all pure business, but hearing what Sakura was doing from Sai's very own mouth made her stomach twist in uncomfortable ways. She didn't like it.

No words left her mouth, because she seriously didn't know what to say to that, because she's the same… and it shames her. If there was only one thing that made her even a bit better than Sakura, it was the fact that neither her nor her partners were serious at all. They were all playing games and they know it. However, Sai wasn't playing. He was serious to hell about his end of the bargain, and Sakura was taking advantage of that.

"…are you hurt?" Feng asked.

Sai looked at her with blank eyes and stared. After a moment, he tilted his head and asked, "What do you mean?"

_Ah…_ Feng mused. _He__doesn't__know__what__emotions__are…_

"In here…" Feng slowly raised slim hands and lightly touched her fingers against Sai's chest where his heart would be. She waited for the boy to flinch or move away, but Sai just curiously stared at her hands. "Does this hurt? As if there's a wound?"

Sai's brows furrowed for a moment. "Now that you mention it… Yes. Not all the times though. And when it does, it's really bearable that I don't need to go to the medic."

She smiled at that. "It's a good thing it's not worse. There are times when someone gets too attached to another that the feeling is so unbearable and they cry."

"Like Naruto, when Sasuke left."

Feng nodded, and for a while, they sat in comfortable silence, until Feng leaned in to the boy and asked, "Do you want me to make you feel good?"

Sai looked sceptical, and Feng really didn't wonder why, but soon, Sai gave in to his curiosity. "You can do that?"

"Yes. Well, I can't promise you to heal this," she gestured to his chest, "but I can promise that I can make you feel really good for a moment."

Sai thought about it for a while before nodding. There really wasn't anything to lose in feeling good, right?

After receiving the confirmation, Feng slowly decreased the remaining distance between them, sharing her body heat to the boy. She couldn't help the breathy chuckle that escaped her lips when she saw the calculative glance of the ninja, his mind full of battle obviously formulating different plans of escape if necessary. "Are you scared?"

"I just don't… get it. I don't feel any killing intent, but I still feel threatened."

Feng laughed. She knows exactly what he was saying, and it was amusing to see a confused Sai. "Don't worry." She purred. "I'll make you feel _really_good right now…"

The expert woman carefully embraced Sai, straddling the boy unnoticeably and leaning in so they were chest to chest and her breath tickled the back of Sai's ears. To her dismay though, she never heard any frantic heart beating or ragged breathing from the boy so she lightly kissed his neck, earning her a flinch. Knowing that what she was doing was affecting Sai, she continued to assault his neck with wet kisses and licks, and to her satisfaction, the boy started to pant.

Soft hands travelled through bare skin of the boy's neck and arms, sensually rubbing the taught muscles that were contracting with her every touch. Sai shivered, and she was very happy to have her palms directly feel that. Not long after her soft ministrations, she could already feel a hard lump pressing against her inner leg and without missing a beat, Feng _accidentally_ rubbed against that bulge.

"Wha – what're you doing?" Sai asked, desperately clinging to his sanity and not give in to the overflowing feelings.

"I'm making you feel good." She simply answered. Her hands slowly travelled across his ribs, his toned stomach, and further down, teasing the hem of Sai's pants before directly feeling up the hard lump.

Sai took in a shaky breath, surprised beyond belief of what Feng was doing but not having enough strength to push the woman away. "I… I feel weird."

"Honey…" She purred against his ears, purposely breathing a puff of warm air. "Don't fret yet. We're far from the main course…"

Having said that, Feng crawled down and positioned herself in between his legs. Expert fingers slowly opened the latch of the boy's pants, and Sai being a trained shinobi that he was grabbed Feng's wrists to stop her from doing more. Every ninja feels vulnerable without their clothing on. Seeing the indecisiveness of the younger boy, Feng couldn't help but smile. She slowly sits up and leaned close to Sai until their lips gently touched.

Feng felt the boy tensed so she didn't move, waiting until Sai relaxed against her. Knowing that no resistance would be encountered anymore, she opened her mouth to softly caress his lips. It didn't take a genius to know it was his first, and Feng only felt more thrilled at that. In her long years of experience, it really was the best to be with someone who doesn't know anything yet that she can teach. Although from time to time, she can't deny that it was good being held rather than teaching.

After a while, Sai responded with his own touch. Tentative, shy, gentle. And Feng loved all of it. Feeling a little braver, she ventured more into the depths of that hot wonder, her tongue sliding in to taste. This time, Sai responded with little hesitation and much confidence.

They battled for a while, until Feng felt strong arms wound at the back of her head to press her closer. Another arm snaked around her waist that guided her against that hard lump. She smirked at that, _he's definitely__a__natural._ Wanting to feel more, she tentatively rolled her hips against it, and the kiss broke with a gasp from Sai. But Feng didn't want to just rub against it; she wanted to do more, so she crawled back down between his legs and opened his pants, successfully this time around.

She almost gasped when the hard member sprang free of confines, shocked with its paleness and its size. _This__would__definitely__be__good…_

Sai watched in caution on what the red-head was doing. He wasn't some idiotic hermit who knows nothing about this. Of course he knew. He has knowledge he gained from books, part of his attempt to learn human emotions. But he has never harbored any idea that he was going to experience this with anyone in any time of his life. Partly because he's a trained soldier, mostly because he was raised without knowing how to deal with normal people in any normal situations, along with the inability to feel. So he watched, in trance, as Feng slowly touched the end of his member with the tip of her tongue.

Just that one motion sent electric shock through his lower region, spreading all the way to his spine.

He was rattled of course, because he didn't know what happened. He knew that he wasn't in any danger because he didn't feel even a bit of killer intent from her and the surrounding area. He even knew that no one would be around because they are in the sacred grounds – no living being except nature allowed, so why was he feeling cautious? But all coherent thoughts flew away when her head started to bob up and down, enveloping him with heat he has never encountered.

He grasped the grass beneath him, every muscles tensed because of the weird sensation coming from his member. When the bobbing came faster though, he couldn't help but shut his eyes, groan, pant, and arch his back until something exploded.

Gasping beyond belief, he opened his eyes to see Feng, her face covered with white smudges. He also knows of that, semen is what it was called. He watched in wonder if it really came from him, his hand unconsciously reaching out until he touched that white thing on her face.

_Sticky._

Sai couldn't believe it, couldn't believe it really happened. He felt light headed and unbelievably refreshed.

He saw her smile and straddles him once more. She whispered in his ears, "We're far from over, Sai." And he clamped his mouth shut, a little bit ashamed that he thought it was really over. He couldn't deny though, that he wanted more. More. More of it. Was he excited? Anxious? Eager perhaps? He didn't know, but he knew he was at least _feeling_ something.

Her hands gently grabbed his half hard member, pumping until it stood proud once more and guided it beneath her.

He looked, unsure of what she was going to do but she just smiled, and he felt another scorching heat slowly enveloped his cock from the tip, down to the base. He heard her gasp as he was feeling this new sensation. It was different from what Feng did earlier. This time he felt hotter, tighter, and wetter. It was maddening, his member twitching in anticipation of whatever was coming, asking for _more._Just fucking _more_.

And she helped herself up, the heat leaving his member up to the tip before slowly consuming down to the base again. He gasped and groaned and burrowed his face against her clothed chest as she continued her motion up and down.

Sai could feel it, feel his sanity slip in his clutches as the motion continued, and he was vaguely alerted. That is, until she rolled her hips faster, harder. Everything blanked out after that. His hands seemingly with a mind of its own found its way to her hips, guiding her up and down with more force. His hips bucked, slamming against that much needed cavern.

He could hear her panting, gasping, asking for more, screaming _harder_ and he did just that. One of his hands, left or right he didn't know, clutched at her Yukata and tears it open, exploring the creamy skin now exposed to his liking. They moved in synchronization, up and down, while his eyes just stared at the inviting chest before him. He leaned in and licked, and she moans. He decided he liked the sound of that, so he did more. More lapping, until he could feel more wetness against his member. And he liked it too.

"Do you… know what you're feeling?" Feng asked him in between her pants, their movement not stopping.

He looked at her and leaned in, kissing her fully on the lips. "Pleasure…" He whispered in her ears, and he threw away all of the chains around his sanity and laid her down the grassy field, thrusting with abandon. All the while she moaned and panted and screamed _Yes!_And _More!_

Both of them didn't know how long they were at it. Feng lost count of how many times they did it, what positions they were in. Sai lost count of how many times he exploded. They forgot the Concealing Flower, or if it crossed their mind, they continued their activity anyway.

…

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Feng when they came, and the girl could only gulp and act like nothing wrong happened. How could she ever forget how strong Naruto's sense of smell is? But she acted normal, silently praying that the fragrance of the flowers concealed the smell of sex from her and silently cheered when her blonde leader didn't ask anything.

She smiled and continued towards the living room, but shortly stopped when she saw ice cold black eyes of Sai staring at her. She chuckled at the secret message conveyed from that one glance and the side of Sai's mouth turned upwards to form a small rare smile. Both of them entered, talking to no one about what transpired between them, both thinking they should do it again sometime soon.

Oh yeah! This is the first sex scene in the story (It was difficult but there are more to come. xD) Should I transfer it to Rated M or should I just let it be on T and just warn the readers there'd be sex in a chapter? What do you guys think?

REviews please!


	16. Chapter 15

Bloody fuck. I can't believe that I'd ever get to experience something like this! I mean my laptop – my fucking laptop! Can you believe that? – just stopped working altogether. Every damned time I try to open it, there are codes and there's a window asking for an administrative password for setting-up the laptop as if it's a newly made piece of shitty junk. My gawd! Times like this I really wish I have some semblance of a thing people call brain… And the best part is… EVERYTHING WAS LOST. As in every fucking single file (for work, my CVs, my artworks, my ads, my fucking everything!)

It's a good thing I have an external drive and backup for some files, or really, I'd be dead! As in literally! My head has been chewed enough by my boss for the past weeks cuz I can't browse my files! Can you believe that shit? If she would just give us our Salary on time, then I could have long gone and dropped this junk to a technician! But noo! She's the boss and she's always so fucking right and me along with everyone else in the world is a nobody that has the fucking right to even question her! Describe her? Fucking shitty of a bitch!

Wooh! I've ranted. But it feels good.

Anyway, here goes your chapter. After long weeks of suffering because I can't do a single damn thing.

**Chapter 15:**

Kakashi stealthily leaned against the kitchen entrance and quietly watched as Oryu and Yukari tweaked here and there with different potions and formulas. He really had no idea what was happening in the process, partly because it was never his area of expertise in the first place and mostly because he didn't even know what type of flower they were concocting is. They have been cooped up in the kitchen for more than six hours now without as much as a five minute break. Kakashi has no idea how long this would take, or why it was even taking so long to begin with, but he knew better than to mess this up knowing that this is as important to Oryu as it was for Naruto.

Single grey eye landed on the shining silver metal accessories littered across the dining table. These are also one of his many wonders. If he didn't see it in his own eyes, he wouldn't have ever thought that it was Keisuke who created these. Well, even if he saw the white head kid create it, he still finds it hard to believe because the kid just sat down, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and concentrated his chakra to his palms. The moment he opened his palms again, there sat an innocently looking arm band. Why would he think he wasn't hallucinating especially since the kid materialized silver metals on and on? And it appeared easily too like rabbits hopping out of some magician's stupid top hat.

More importantly, he knows about Yamato's wooden ability to create woods from his palms and he knows that those kinds of abilities are extremely rare. It's unlike controlling elements using chakra for Chidori or Katon Jutsus because the wooden ability like that runs far deeper than chakra skills. It has something to do with the blood, the genes. For instance, the only other person who could use that same technique was the very first hokage.

So now, he really can't help but wonder how come a small little kid can do something far more complicated than Yamato's ability. _Does it flow in the blood?_He really didn't know, and his mind was having a breakdown from absorbing all of the bizarre information.

He looked at Yukari, her crimson eyes staring blankly ahead all the while continuing to mix here and there. This girl is also unusual in her medical skills. If she was also a rare gifted child, he doesn't know because he hasn't seen any of her abilities yet. Or more specifically, he hasn't learnt anything regarding Naruto's individual member's abilities at all.

A small whiff of lavender got Kakashi's eye automatically fall back to the main reason he was here – Oryu. The spectacled blonde was frowning more than usual, evidence of his focus solely on his task. It's not like he hasn't seen a serious Oryu before, because really, whenever was Oryu not serious? Still, his amount of concentration to whatever he's doing right now simply does not compare to the usual days. Seems as if he was too serious to even notice Kakashi's presence.

Kakashi smirked and trotted over behind the blonde._Heh._

Yukari stopped in the middle of shaking the bottle when she saw a dark figure looming behind Oryu. Normally, if she and Oryu were doing something, no one would dare bother them, but the past month is different. They were living together with outsiders – or outsiders they now consider friends. Suigetsu the idiot wouldn't think twice before intruding, and Kakashi seems to have taken a liking to Oryu.

So when she saw how Kakashi was trying to sneak up on the oblivious Oryu, she decided to quietly leave the kitchen. Not like Oryu would notice. Besides, she has to admit they needed a break.

_What a sensible child._ Kakashi couldn't help but think as he saw the little girl walk away, obviously giving him some time to hog Oryu. But Oryu didn't even blink an eye when she left nor when he got directly behind him. It was a good trait of Oryu, being so focused like that. He just hopes the blonde isn't like this when it comes to battlefield.

He reached out to his mask and leaned closer before whispering, "What are you doing?" He even added an extra blow just for fun. Something inside him cracked when he saw the obvious shiver that ran through the blonde's back while the back of his neck up to the tip of his ear turned a lovely shade of red.

"Wha… what in the world are you doing?" Oryu turned around rapidly, almost dropping the tube he was holding when he reached out to rub his abused ear.

Kakashi grinned. "Eh. I've been here for five minutes though."

"Bastard… can't you see I'm busy? I don't have time for your stupid games."

Now if Oryu just said that with a stern face and serious aura, Kakashi would have listened. As it is, the guy was blushing madly and shaking like a leaf, so Kakashi just laughed, completely forgetting to move his mask back up. "Well, look what I've found… Oryu's sensitive behind the ears. I've got to keep that in mind. Hm, another weakness to play with."

Oryu blanched. The mere idea of this lazy and bastard of a teacher toying with him was unbearable. His pride wouldn't allow it. Too bad though, that his pride and his reactions didn't go hand in hand. So when he opened his mouth, all he could say was incoherent mumblings due to so much stuttering. "I… You… What…" To Oryu's horror, Kakashi laughed more so he shut his mouth with an audible click and glared as best as he could while sporting a mad blush. Unfortunately, it just did the opposite effect instead of scaring Kakashi's wits.

Shaken and humiliated, Oryu walked away. "Stupid bastard."

…

Sasuke leaned back against the wall as he watched Naruto's eyes droop once again, the blonde sitting within his arm reach.

He didn't know what the blonde was actually doing as he skims through different scrolls and books for four hours now. Truthfully speaking, he actually thought that after Oryu found out what they needed to conceal their chakra signatures, they would finally be free of tedious readings and start the physical training. However, Naruto opened those reading materials shortly after Feng and Sai arrived. Sasuke would have helped the blonde idiot to speed things up, but he didn't know what Naruto was looking for.

Naruto's head bobbed once more, and seemingly woken up startled, he sat up straighter only for his eyes to droop again moments later.

Fine. Sasuke knew that Naruto liked reading since they were young, but this is just too much. After being cooped up for three days searching for one damn flower, he expected to have a break, have a sparring with Naruto, and not more readings. And it seems that Naruto's mind was starting to agree with him too since the blonde was dazing out for ten minutes now, his eyes drooping and his posture slacking.

_He really needs to rest his eyes._

Maybe Naruto has superhuman senses and strength and power, but it doesn't give him the right to abuse his body like this.

"Naruto." He gently called, but Naruto continued to bob his head, so he called out again a little louder.

"Huh?" The blonde asked, not really comprehending what was happening. In a way, it was a compliment to Sasuke, because it just means the Dobe feels secured in his presence. Not to mention it highly amuses him to see the idiot so disoriented and dazed.

"Come here."

"… Mn…" He nodded, although he continued to sit there staring at Sasuke, the upside down scroll hanging loosely on one hand.

The raven couldn't help but chuckle at that, and he would love to tease the blonde enigma if not for the fact that he really needs a break. "You can sleep."

It took a few seconds before Naruto answered a silent "M'fine…"

_Still so stubborn even while sleeping._ He would have smacked that golden head if only the owner was wide awake, but he refrained himself from doing so. He really didn't want to add another stress on those small slumped shoulders. So Sasuke held out his hand and laced his fingers against Naruto's own, and the Dobe didn't even flinch. He just stared, and stared… and stared some more.

"Come." Sasuke prodded with a gentle tug.

This seems to have caught Naruto's instinct since he dazedly complied, crawling towards Sasuke in a slow motion that got the youngest Uchiha smiling. But Naruto stopped his movement when he was at least a foot away, so Sasuke tugged more, positioning the sleeping blonde in between his legs. When Naruto knelt before him, he released their intertwined hands only to scoop the blonde under his knees with one hand while the other supported that small back.

Naruto automatically clung to Sasuke's neck, dropping the forgotten scroll without even knowing that he was creating a warm swelling inside the raven's gut, and Sasuke decided he liked that warmth.

After securing Naruto in his arms, he leaned back against the wall and comfortably sat the blonde on his lap. To Sasuke's delight, Naruto didn't release his hold around his shoulders but nuzzled his neck more as a cat would while curling closer to him. Sasuke liked that too, so he scooped Naruto closer, tighter.

Just in time as Kakashi finally graced them with his presence.

Kakashi admits that he pretty much likes to butt in the middle of a good moment. That way, things get more interesting and exciting, tension raises and lowers and the excitement builds up. But his meddling habit happens far in between because even as much as he likes butting in, he also likes watching how things solve itself. However, this time as he opened the sliding door of the living area and catching Sasuke in his rare moment of showing his soul, there was nothing remote to malicious intent brewing in his dark mind.

After having his treat of teasing the usually composed Oryu, he just went and walked towards the living room. He didn't think he'd get to see this though…

Gray eyebrow raised at the scene in front of him: Naruto was clinging around Sasuke's neck, his face buried between the shoulders and Sasuke's head; his body curled up on the youngest Uchiha's lap, pressed against Sasuke's clothed chest; clearly sleeping like a log. What's more, Sasuke, the bona fide Ice Prince of the Century, has his arms around the smaller teen.

Onyx clashed against single gray eye, and Kakashi truthfully didn't know what to think at that. Did the two of them finally have the talk of the year? Have they come to terms of their feelings that were rooted since they were kids? Kakashi didn't want speculations, he wants solid answers.

"Uh…" He awkwardly started and Sasuke raised a brow. "Do you know what you're doing?"

Sasuke's brows turned down into a frown. Just what the heck was Kakashi implying? "What?"

"I mean… Well, I've known the both of you since genin days, and I'm not going to lie to you that I haven't seen the tension between you two. I actually thought you'd both be around it as you get older but, maa, you know what happened. You left." Kakashi entered the room and sat across the scowling Uchiha. "I believed you'd both kill each other the next time you meet. Which was true for many encounters. So… what happened?"

"What do you mean 'what happened'?"

Kakashi waved a lazy hand. "Eh, you know what I'm talking about." Sasuke continued to scowl so Kakashi couldn't help it when he raised his voice a notch higher in exasperation. "I mean _that._ The way you two _happened_. What's with you?"

"Mmn…" Naruto stirred and snuggled closer, his golden brows furrowing a bit by the noise buzzing around him. To Kakashi's surprise, Sasuke automatically tightened his hold around the blonde. His hands tucking in Naruto's head closer to him.

"I'm here." Sasuke whispered against Naruto's ears. Somehow, his voice did the trick into lulling the blonde back to slumber with no more creased forehead. After making sure that Naruto was once again sleeping peacefully, Sasuke turned his sharpest, iciest glare towards his previous mentor. "Try that once more and I swear I'll personally kill you, Kakashi."

Kakashi gave him a lopsided smile and sent an apology through his only visible eye. He might be the previous mentor of Sasuke, but he sure as hell won't try the young teen's wrath. Who knows how much he has grown stronger for the past, what, five, six years? Yes, Kakashi has also grown, but who knows how he will fare against Sasuke when they were almost immediately matched when the boy was just fifteen? "My bad." He made sure his voice was as soft as he could do. "He really needs a rest, huh."

Sasuke sighed. "He hasn't been sleeping for the past few days."

Silence reigned for a moment as Kakashi contemplated on _why_ Naruto was still researching and _what_ the youngest blonde wanted to find, but that was the least of his worries.

He stared at the sleeping blonde. No one has ever mentioned it, but Kakashi knows that Sasuke and Sakura, as well as Sai, has noticed it when they saw Naruto for the first time again. At first, Kakashi didn't know if it was just his imagination or not, so he pushed it at the farthest corner of his mind, after all, changes were bound to happen. Not in this degree though, and he noticed it the longer they stayed here.

The copy-nin secretly activated his single sharingan, and he sure as hell almost jumped in surprise as he stared at Naruto.

Naruto's body was never the biggest and the most built to begin with, he was more of a small child. But the Naruto now was more than just small. He's… lithe. His shoulders are narrow, very unlike Sasuke's or Sai's own. It was more comparable with Sakura, and though Sakura's shoulder has more curves than Naruto, he still can't deny that there are curves there when it shouldn't have. And his face… oh, God, his face.

The blonde has always been on the good looks side, having inherited the Yondaime's features. It just looked like he hasn't got the face when they were kids since Naruto loved to scrunch up his face a lot when teasing, but when one looks, he still looked good – boyish kind of good. However, the Naruto now was similar yet far from that… Kakashi couldn't put his finger on it, but it's there and it's bugging the hell out of him.

Naruto has grown to be… dare he say it, _pretty,_ in the one year that they haven't seen each other. That's not normal. That's never normal. What's more, if he didn't know Naruto, he would have mistaken him for a girl. He has become _androgynous_… and Kakashi was scared the hell of it. Because no matter how much he thinks of a reason, the only thing that comes up to mind that can affect Naruto's appearance since forever was the seal of Kyuubi.

For sure, there was something happening with that seal. Something serious that Naruto hasn't told them yet…

But he left that issue for later, as of now, he has more pressing matters and he would be damned if he let Sasuke slip through his questions. "So? Are you going to answer?"

"I don't even know the question."

"Oh come on, Sasuke. You know what I'm talking about. The last time I saw you, you both were trying your damnest to slit each other's throat. And now I see you here, like this, snuggling like two old cats as if the whole killing encounters were nothing but a horrible nightmare."

"It's none of your business."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He didn't want to trick it out of Sasuke, but the boy was just making it hard for him. "It is, Sasuke, it is. Because even if the both of you came past my mentorship, you'd still remain my students. Aside from that, Naruto is my sensei's son. I'd be damned if I let something bad happens to him. Who knows, maybe he's under a genjutsu or something."

"He's not under a fucking _genjutsu_Kakashi." Sasuke hissed. "Things happened. Things no one ought to know unless Naruto himself tells. And don't get all fucking slippery on me. We both know that you were aware about this '_tension'_ since we were kids."

_Ah. He gave me a vague answer yet still confirmed what I want._Kakashi couldn't help but muse with a secret grin. But he still has more under his sleeves.

"And you've come to conclusion with your_,_as we put it, '_tension'_? Even if both of you are guys…"

Sasuke snapped at that, but he couldn't up and obliterate the single-eyed problem if he didn't want to wake Naruto, so he settled with glaring with a spinning sharingan. "I'll say it again since you didn't understand the first time. It's none of your _fucking_ business." Being one that doesn't stay put without revenge, Sasuke narrowed his eyes more. "You don't see me saying anything about you and your fucking little game you pull around Oryu."

Kakashi stilled.

"I have no interest about your affair, but I'll tell you this. If by chance, Naruto cries because of your stupid game, I won't hesitate to mutilate your sorry ass. And trust me when I say it wouldn't just be me hunting you when that time comes."

_Low blow._ Kakashi thought, but he couldn't really blame Sasuke. He himself dealt the first blow in the first place, so maybe he deserved this just a little.

…

Sakura tried her hardest to swallow the lump in her throat and stop the shaking of her hands.

It wasn't intentional, she didn't plan this nor did she try to sneak up. She just finished gathering the clothes hung outside at the garden when she happened to pass by there and she heard Sasuke's voice softly calling out to Naruto. It came from the living room, and sure enough, there was Sasuke sitting there with an almost sleeping Naruto. She smiled of course, seeing a chance to talk with her childhood love without Karin or any other nuisance. Naruto was 95% sleeping anyway. She was about to call out a sweet _'Sasuke-kun'_, when all of a sudden, the very same Sasuke reached out to lace his hands with Naruto.

She froze on the spot.

She watched as Naruto dazedly crawled over to the one who tugged him, and she watched with a constricted breath is Sasuke scooped the sleeping blonde in his arms.

_No way._

And then Kakashi came.

She was ready to dismiss what she saw as one of those rare _best friends'_ moments. She would have loved to, but there goes Kakashi and his big mouth asking what the hell _happened._ To Sakura's horror, that just indirectly confirmed all of her doubts and fear.

Still…

_No. This isn't happening. Sasuke never confirmed. There is absolutely_nothing_going on. They're just best of friends. Yes. That's it._

She repeated those words inside her head like a prayer as she walked away from that horrible scene, making herself believe that everything is just _fine_, and her childhood love is still conveniently in love with her. Yes. She'll believe that.

Review people! That's my only shining ligggght.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

Earlier that day, Kakashi's team hesitantly left for Konoha. They didn't want to at first, Sakura saying something about their duty to protect him. It was obvious she was reluctant to leave Sasuke even after she said those rightful things though, no surprises there. Fortunately, Naruto has arranged the order from Tsunade. He really hates what was happening now, for things to be official and stamped by the Godaime herself before Sakura even think about going with his plans. It's a hassle, and it hurts him to know how he's not trusted.

Naruto really has no idea what bit Sakura in the ass. She was friendly with him when she first arrived here, or as civil as she could get with a certain Sasuke Uchiha around. No worries there, Naruto was used to that kind of treatment. It just feels like they have reverted back to the old genin days, but with a much friendlier tune. Just days before they left though, Sakura turned from being civil to downright ignoring his presence altogether, and this time, Naruto felt like he was back to the actual genin days, no friendly tune or whatever.

He didn't even do anything to annoy her because it was seriously tiring to pull the act. As he said to Sasuke, he was dropping hints here and there for Sakura to pick up that he really wasn't as what they knew of him. His efforts went down the drain.

Naruto comfortably sat at the Japanese mat inside the living room. Everyone was gathered there, waiting for him to lay out the plan. "You all know the obvious reason why I told them to go first. It's highly suspicious for one big group to enter the gates of Konoha altogether, and with Kakashi's group no less." He started.

Karin, one of those who absolutely loathes him (Sakura was the other one) for reasons he really cannot fathom, rolled her eyes at him. "Way to go genius. I don't know if you're blind or just plain stupid, but we're a group of _ten._ Now, I don't know about you, but that's a big number to me."

Naruto sighed. He's had enough of his fair share of hatred that he doesn't deserve, but he wouldn't snap. He doesn't want something like his chakra leaking out again like the last time in the clearing. Either way, he still hesitated if he should tell them the truth or not.

They might get wary, or scared, or be biased, or their views on them might change in general when he tells them the truth. He doesn't want that to happen. He wants to live a normal life, as normal as he could get. However, there was no denying that they would question him sooner or later, especially when they travel back to Konoha and they notice his missing members. He doesn't want his plans to be trashed and stomped just because he hid one necessary truth.

Oryu must have seen his indecisiveness because he heard the familiar cough, a sign that Oryu wanted to say something. "You can tell them. I've already slipped my tongue before anyway."

"Yes, that's true." Yukari claimed. "If we don't like how they would react or if they endanger the plan, we can always erase their memories."

Suigetsu tensed at the mention of memories being erased, reminded of the very first day he set foot in this house as a captive.

Naruto pondered at that. True to what Yukari said, they can always erase the truth in their memories if things go bad, but he really doesn't want to resort to that. Erasing memories has much complications and side effects. Besides, he has already treated them as friends, and he really doesn't fancy the idea of doing something like that to those whom he call friends.

_Just decide to tell them or not._ He argued with himself.

"Ugh, fine." _We can deal with the consequences later._ "Yukari, please erect a strong barrier around the area. Make sure no living beings aside from us are within, nor could anyone enter."

The little girl complied with a single nod before silently walking towards the veranda, all the eyes on her. To Karin's surprise, the girl's chakra flared notches higher than Sasuke's in an instant, small fingers doing hand seals they couldn't identify, and then all went silent. No cricketing, no sound of wind, no rustles of leaves, no howling of animals; everything outside went eerie silent. The silence got under Karin's skin as she backed away, pressing herself against the safety of the wall.

Naruto saw that. "I really didn't want to tell you guys about this…"

Sasuke saw the sadness in Naruto's eyes, and before he could even think about it, he has already scooted closer to the blonde and taken those small hands in his own. He didn't even think about the sudden surge of power, he just knew that he wasn't in danger. True, he felt threatened, but he was confident, although he really didn't understand why.

The blonde turned to smile gratefully at him. "Well, I guess I can't hide this forever."

"What's app'ning?" Suigetsu cautiously asked, his hands around the hilt of his sword in preparation for an upcoming attack. He has never felt this eeriness outside the battlefield before. He only has ever encountered this kind of silence whenever he was waiting to attack or be ambushed. It felt as if a kunai was pressed tightly against his neck.

"I'm sure you remember the incident a few days ago when Oryu snapped at Sakura and then bowed to me, asking for forgiveness." Naruto paused for a moment, gauging everyone's reactions, waiting if someone was going to say something or just plain breaks down and attacks him. To his amazement, they all held his gaze, no movement done. "I want you to meet my group."

Everyone held a confused eyes, even Sasuke himself, wondering just what the heck was he talking about when they have already lived together for more than a month.

Naruto's members all lined up at either side of the living room, standing properly for once, and much to everyone's surprise, five different chakras erupted like massive volcanoes, causing such an oppressing atmosphere around the room, so oppressive their eyes could almost see swirls around them, their shoulders weighing heavy.

And then Karin let out an ear-splitting shrieked.

Her face showed utmost horror. She quickly backed away, almost melding herself at the wall just to find her way of escape. Her eyes were unfocused; beads of sweat framed her face, her skin dangerously pale and her breathing ragged. Her fingers were clawing the wall, scratching unconsciously. She shook her head violently and then gripped her hair, almost tugging out the red strands. Her body trembled in fear. "Stop, stop, stop." She whispered to herself, willing away whatever was scaring her.

"She can see us…"

"She's a tracker."

"Poor girl."

"She can only see our shadow."

"What~ So I can't show her my marvelous beauty…"

A giggle. "She must be scared witless."

Suigetsu listened in horror at the not so quiet whispers. He knew they were supposed to be whispers, but he could hear it nonetheless, echoing across the room with raw eeriness and it was creeping the hell out of him. He turned his eyes to watch Karin with alarm. It's true that he was also feeling the oppressive aura that he almost couldn't stand well. He could also feel the cold air lapping around his skin, making his discomfort increase tenfold. He'd never admit it, but he was scared shitless to be surrounded by these people who were standing in either of the exits. He felt as if a group of Death Gods were surrounding them, staring down at them with cold eyes, ready to strike down their scythe and taking with them their last fucking breath. It was unnerving.

He felt helpless and weak, as if he was really facing godly beings.

He could only imagine what Karin was seeing, knowing that she can see the form of one's aura. What he couldn't understand though was how they managed to hide such chakra. "Damnit." Juugo wasn't fairing any better as the big guy was already slumped on the floor, his seal not even daring to act up in front of these guys.

Even Sasuke found it hard to breathe but he'd be damned if he let something like this graze his pride. It's not much anyway (or so he'd like to believe), he just felt like standing in the middle of the bijus gathering and all breathing down his neck. His other hand grasped Kusanagi as if his life was on the line, it wouldn't be too far from that anyway. He wasn't even sure when he activated his Sharingan, but he could feel it swirling violently. He even failed to control his chakra form flailing wildly.

He felt a squeeze in his hand, and all of a sudden, his nausea left as if it didn't even occur in the first place. Warmth enveloped him, like a thick warm blanket, and strangely enough, he felt comfortable. His breathing slowly evened out, and only did he realize what happened after he has gathered his wits together: Naruto's warm comforting chakra was embracing him. Sasuke didn't know how that happened, but he knows he was fine now.

Naruto waved a hand and the oppressive chakra slowly started to recede, making the normal occupants of the living room able to breathe again. "As you remember, Oryu said something about not being human. Well, we just showed you how much of a human they are, which is by the way… never."

Silence answered as everyone processed what has been said.

"They're not humans. They're my familiars." He dropped. "So you don't have to worry about their presence in the journey to Konoha."

…

Naruto suppressed the smile that was threatening to spread on his face when he felt warm hands surround him in an embrace from behind. Only one person would do that, and only one person would he allow.

"Heh. Never would have thought you're the cuddly type."

"I wasn't." Came Sasuke's reply.

Naruto chuckled. "But you _are_ now."

"I am. Surprising, huh."

"Hah! Who'd have thought."

Both of them appreciated the momentary comfort silence, and that few seconds was all it took for Naruto's mind to come reeling again and think of the present matters.

He was grateful for Suigetsu and Juugo for treating them more or less the same as before they knew the truth, only with a newfound respect and awe this time. As for the girl, Karin, well, he couldn't blame her for keeping her distance and being vigilant around them, but that's just really so… depressing.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Sasuke asked, curious and lost about what happened earlier.

"There are still more I haven't told you…"

"Do you have plan to tell me?"

Naruto thought about it. He knew he can't tell everything to Sasuke yet, and he also knows that he would have to tell him in the future. It's just that, after seeing the reaction he got from Karin just from revealing to them that his group mates are not humans but his familiars, he got scared to tell Sasuke more about his situation. What if he doesn't understand? What if he reacts to him the same way Karin did? Naruto doesn't know if he can handle that kind of rejection from Sasuke. So even if it was only stalling the time, he wishes to stay here like this, content and happy. Even just for a short while.

"…in time." He answered.

Sasuke wants to know. Of course he does. He wants to know everything about Naruto, but he couldn't bear seeing that desperation in Naruto's eyes again. He could feel the overwhelming fear of the blonde, as to what, he didn't know. He just knows it's _there_, so obvious that he could almost touch it with his naked hands. Whatever it is that Naruto was scared of, Sasuke knows it has to be something huge and significant. Because really, who scares Konoha's number one surprise ninja?

Instead of digging it up, he opted to change the direction of their conversation. "You should have told Kakashi about this."

"No. I couldn't. Still can't." Naruto shook his head. "I'm not blind, Sasuke. I know what's going on between Kakashi and Oryu. I can see it, which is why I couldn't tell them. You saw how Karin reacted today, and I don't want the same reaction from them, especially Kakashi."

Sasuke tightened his hold around Naruto. There it goes again, the desperation, the fear and the sadness. He truthfully doesn't understand where all these are coming from, and he has not even the slightest idea. "Dobe, you idiot, you're not the one to decide about that. Give Kakashi the chance to decide for himself." He huffed. "I think he's just playing games anyway."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Well, that'd be bad. I'll castrate him alive if that's the case."

"Tch. It's not even your business, Dobe."

"I know." Naruto squeezed Sasuke's arm affectionately before gently removing the hold of those arms around him. Sad blue eyes looked up to those obsidian eyes. "And I know what it feels like to be abandoned, so I don't want that to happen to my friends."

Sasuke watched as Naruto retreated back to the inside of their cozy home with curious but understanding eyes. He knows where _that_ came from because even he himself has abandoned the blonde before.

_Never gonna happen again._

"Bastard…" He heard a hiss from the corner of the garden, a presence he hasn't noticed before. It surprised him as much as he tried to deny it. Hurray for his mask that held its rightful place. Although, he didn't really need to look who it was since there was only one guy in Naruto's group whom he knew would happily chew his limbs off. "You should know your place."

"I do." Was Sasuke's smart reply. "You clearly don't see yours."

Sho angrily stomped over the young Uchiha and grabbed the hem of his kinagashi (1) with such a force it almost stripped Sasuke naked. "_You_ weren't there when he was alone- "

"I'm here now."

"-_You_ attempted to kill him more than fucking once- "

"We're still together."

"He should have fucking _left_ you!" Sho angrily hissed, mindful of the volume of his voice not wanting Naruto to come back bursting in. His fists that clutched mightily to that fabric of a cloth trembled in anger. Frustrated was an understatement, not just because he was being cut-off with rather smart-assed comments but also because he knew he couldn't think of anything to prove what Sasuke has said false. "_You_ weren't there for him. _We _were! _I _was there!"

A smirk slowly crept and settled across Sasuke's features. He looked feral… insane. And then he manically laughed. "So now you show your true intentions." In a blink of an eye, Sasuke has already grabbed the front of Sho's utility vest, pushing just as hard as Sho did to him. "You're getting fucking desperate now because _you_ were there and _still_ he didn't even glance at you!"

"It may be one of my concerns but even without my feelings for him, I'd still be worried because _you_ don't deserve him!"

Sasuke stared long and hard before releasing his grip on the other's shirt, slapping away those hands clutching to him. "It's not even your fucking business, shithead." He scoffed. "You're just a fucking delusional outsider." And he moved to retreat back to his and Naruto's room. Oh yes, even with Kakashi's team gone, he chose to stay with Naruto, reasoning out loud that he'd hate to hog a room all by himself. Excuses, excuses, everyone knew, but he just smirked and the blonde just stuttered.

Just the thought of the two of them sharing a room and a bed usually used for single person drained any murderous thoughts towards a certain seaweed head. It felt good having something to be called _'Ours'_, a sharing ownership between him and Naruto. Feeling better as if that short confrontation never really happened in the first place, Sasuke walked to go inside.

Sho watched as Sasuke walked away from him, towards _Naruto's room, _the room he would never admit as _Naruto's and fucking Uchiha's. _He clenched his jaw and shut his eyes, willing himself to calm the fuck down else he wanted an upset and angry Naruto hot on his tail. When Sasuke was far from ear-shot, he spat bitterly on the ground and hissed. "Fucker." He glared at where Sasuke disappeared to. "It's not going to last anyway…"

…

Gaara of the sand stared outside his office's window, layers of sheen sweat covering his forehead. Jade eyes roamed back to the documents gathered neatly on his table.

Just a few minutes ago, he got a visitor seeking his help from the most unexpected person – someone he never thought would actually need a help. Well, this wasn't the first time he got visited although this is the first time that person asked for a favour, but every time that person comes, he would always give Gaara a shock as well as a good amount of goose bumps.

In reality, he never really thought that he would get in this state of sweating and trembling poor excuse of a Kazekage just by that person's mere presence. Maybe it was mainly because he never thought _that person_ was that powerful, that silent, and that graceful. Perhaps it was because he never really saw that person as someone strong-willed and kind and sunny and strong. But not powerful. Never powerful.

It might be his own description of powerful which is why he never saw this coming. Because really, powerful for him is a person who exudes powerful aura just by mere standing. And although he knows that that person has outstanding amount of chakra, he never exudes power just by standing. If there was one person he'd call powerful, he'd say it was someone more like Madara. But not _him._

However, he cannot possibly deny the fact that even now, a few minutes later since he left, his tremendous chakra still lingers across the room.

He shivered.

_Naruto… what in the world happened to you?_

…

Naruto quietly walked out of the Sand's village, his cloak on and flailing against the wind. He has just visited Gaara to arrange some documents they needed for their access to Konoha, and it was a good thing that Gaara easily helped him.

**Are you sure about this?**

Naruto almost jumped when Kyuubi suddenly talked inside his mind, catching him off-guard. _Ah, well, it's not like I can run away forever. So I probably am._

**What a load of bull.** Naruto could sense the amusement in her tone. **You just don't want to be separated from your lover boy.**

The blonde tumbled on his smooth walk at that and almost spluttered if he hadn't remembered that it was the dead time of the night and talking loudly would undoubtedly bust him up. _The heck? Sasuke and I aren't lovers!_

**Huh. Funny. I wasn't exactly talking about the Uchiha.**

_Kyuubi! Stop that. And we really aren't. It'd just happen in my wildest dream, believe me!_

**Oh, yeah. Keep believing that, brat. You'd get somewhere with that. **Kyuubi mused followed by a chimed laughter.

He forced the heat forming across his face down and sobered when he remembered the reason why he really didn't want to be left alone. _It's just… I just want to be together while I still have time…_

Kyuubi understood what the kid meant, and she would be forever guilty of the pain she has caused the boy. It was precisely because she knows what's going on inside Naruto's head, what he feels, and what he's going through that she desperately wanted to hang on to life just to spare him some more time. However, she also knows that it cannot be done, for it is highly dangerous for Naruto if the process of transformation drags on any longer.

She has already told Naruto that there are other ways to be together, of course, but the brat didn't fancy the idea. He didn't want to corrupt everything that Sasuke has and may have in the future just because of his selfishness.

Although, to her judgment, it's not like the Uchiha would mind if he spends his time forever with Naruto in a far away land. She reckons the young Uchiha wouldn't really mind if he wouldn't be able to see the other people again if he's with her adoptive son. The only problem is Naruto's martyrdom and his never-ending self-assessment that he cannot have and will never be worthy of the happiness that he has been longing for, the happiness that only one Sasuke Uchiha can offer. _'Because it would be too selfish and Sasuke would just suffer along with me, and I don't want that'_ was Naruto's constant reason.

Kyuubi shook her head. Sometimes, even though Naruto has the brains, she cannot help but think how much of an idiot he is for things like these. Why can't just Naruto _see and accept_ for once what is laid in front of his face?

She sighed. _**Kids…**_

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><p><strong>Kinagashi (1)<strong>– sloppy and informal wear of male's kimono. You can google it to see. It's sort of sexy. ;)


	18. Chapter 17

****So sorry for the wait. But i already bought a new laptop, whew!

Anyway, I'm back, and hopefully i can continue updating this. cross your fingers and wish me luck!

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><p><strong>Chapter 17:<strong>

An old man was blatantly staring at them, making Sasuke clutch the 'package' tightly against his chest – that 'package' being Naruto, wrapped by a thick, warm blanket. Naruto was sitting on his lap, his head resting comfortably against his chest. He didn't know what the old man's problem was or why he was interested in them. Or maybe saying that he has no idea was a bit o a far fetch since he has, and that would be because they were both buys clutching to each other like lifelines; the other one being that Naruto just had one of his attacks, or as Naruto would put it, _glitches_.

They were traveling with a convoy from Suna to Konoha; and truthfully, he doesn't know how the blonde got the Kazekage Gaara into cooperation. Sasuke thought it was impossible to pass through the gates of Konoha by such a simple means, but Naruto and his group proved it to be possible.

Naruto's members all disappeared like how a summon should, all except for one – Yukari. It seems that no matter when or where, the little girl should always be around Naruto until he has successfully finished the _transformation._ Must be because she was his healer. Anyway, their abilities to disappear was a convenience, but Sasuke along with the rest of his team mates and also perhaps Naruto (he's not sure about the Dobe anymore), doesn't have the ability of summons.

Since they already have the essence of the concealing flower, they wouldn't have to worry about their chakra signatures being recognized. However, any ninja with a highly good perceptiveness would instantly know that they were using henge to cover themselves. In the end, they'd still be discovered. To his surprise, Naruto has already got it patched up. Along with the essence of the concealment plant, he also used some sort of jewel, courtesy of Oryu, attached to a piece of metal made by Keisuke. In principle, it was like Tsunade's henge where little to no amount of chakra is required and the result is almost unnoticeable.

Actually, if he didn't see his team members henge in front of him, he wouldn't recognize them at all in a crowd, especially since the three were on separate carts. He couldn't say the same thing for Naruto though, because strangely enough, he can still feel the _Naruto_ inside this stranger's appearance. Yukari on the other hand didn't need to change since no one from Konoha, or from anywhere for the matter, knows her.

Even their identity cards were prepared by Gaara, so all in all, everything was already covered. It should be smooth sailing – but it was not, because after travelling for six hours, Naruto collapsed.

It was quite a show for everyone to see. There they were, sitting on the floors of the cart, and Naruto started to shake violently. Everyone started to panic, they actually thought they were under attack of some thugs or bandits. Sasuke being the only one beside the blonde, caught him and held on to stop the thrashings. Yukari immediately came and pressed her glowing hand against Naruto's chest. She did some more advanced and complex maneuvers that Sasuke hasn't seen before. In his eyes, it looked like she was weaving Naruto together.

"How is he?" The old man asked with pure concern.

Sasuke looked at Naruto's un-whiskered face, the only visible part of him aside from one hand clutched tightly on Sasuke's shirt and the peeking strands of whitish blonde hair. The rest were covered by a blanket. He was pale, paler than normal, and he was sweating profusely. His breaths came short and ragged. Almost white eyebrows which should have been gold were deeply furrowed. _He looks like he's still in pain._

And so he told them just that.

The old man frowned. "It's already been an hour since his episode; he should be in comfort now, right?"

"Hn." Sasuke remembered that he was posing as a different person, so he talked more. "It's an illness he got since birth."

"Oh? Then why did you leave Suna?" He puffed a smoke. "You should know the toll it's going to take in his body. Are you brothers?"

Sasuke looked down again, wondering what he should say. "We're looking for cure." He gestured towards Yukari. "She's his healer. Her mother's replacement. She's skilled enough but we don't have the right equipment in Suna. And… no, we're not brothers."

Both the old man's brows shot upward. "Huh. I could have sworn you were brothers based on how close you two are and how you're holding him like some sort of treasure." Sasuke almost blushed. "Ah, lovers, perhaps?"

Sasuke never missed the sideway glance directed to them by those other people they were with, especially that inquisive glance from Yukari. _Lover?_ Are they lovers? No, not yet. But he sure hopes they're going there because they definitely aren't just some old friends.

"Childhood friends."

A middle-aged lady laughed. "Oh, stop that." She waved a hand. "No use denying. It's not that uncommon anyway. Besides, you're already busted by the way you look at him."

Sasuke silently groaned, his hands unconsciously tightening his hold around his Dobe. "But we're really just childhood friends."

"Hoho," The old man laughed. "What kind of person follows his childhood friend across the countries just to find a cure?"

"Maybe they aren't lovers _yet_." Some lady chimed in, purposely emphasizing the word, followed by collective of suggestive laughter.

The insides of Sasuke were torn. One part of him was screaming none of it is any of their business, it's his private life and no one's allowed to butt in. The other part though, was dancing in glory. Somehow, he liked the fact the people _knows_ that there's something between him and Naruto. Maybe it was his possessiveness speaking, or his territorial tendencies that by announcing to the world that there's _something_, he'd label Naruto as _his. Mine._

A small whimper coming from Naruto caught his attention. "What is it?" He whispered.

Naruto opened his eyes and Sasuke was greeted by blazing red orbs instead of sapphire. No, it wasn't one of Kyuubi's works, it was just a part of the henge. Large beads of tears were forming at the edges of his slanted eyes, and then it fell, soon followed by another, and another. Not long later, he was sobbing. He wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck and buried his face on his shoulders. And if they were in any other situation, Sasuke would have smiled and teased, but he knows there was something wrong.

"Does it hurt?" He rubbed Naruto's shaking back.

"…It does. It hurts. And I'm uncomfortable. I feel like I'm burning…" Naruto managed to choke out in between his sobs.

Sasuke casted a desperate look to Yukari, who, in turn, scooted closer to check upon Naruto again. She reached out her hand once more and then frowned. "There's something wrong. The amount of heat inside his body is double the amount of the usual degrees that he's had yet. It's making it difficult for me to assess how his organs are, but I do know that it's affecting them – it's burning the inside of his flesh." Sasuke cringed. "We have to immerse him into water soon, or his organs will get damaged beyond repair."

Murmurs from the other folks followed her explanation.

"And you're saying this never happened before?" Sasuke all but pleaded with his eyes.

Yukari shook her head. "No. But one thing is for sure. The process is accelerating."

The process. Sasuke understood that. She meant that his transformation is faster than usual, and it could be completed soon. He supposed he should be relieved knowing that these attacks would come to stop soon. But then, what would happen after Naruto completely transforms? He doesn't see any physical changes going on aside from the fact that he has become more… breathe taking, so he shouldn't worry about him transforming into a big mass being of chakra.

_Huh. But Kyuubi _is_ a lump of chakra._ He scowled. _Unless it's not…_

He's becoming more and more confused as he thinks about it, so he pushed for later. As of now, they really needed to stop Naruto from over-heating. "What can we do?"

"I," The middle-aged lady from earlier came to them. "I went to the henchmen. I told them we have a patient here burning in fever so I asked them to increase the pace."

"What did they say?" Right after the old man asked that, everyone was suddenly jerked backwards as the cart increased speed. Being the old man that he was, his back took offence of the sudden change so he rubbed his waist all the while mumbling, "Took them long enough."

The lady smiled. "They said we're already at the borders of the Fire Country so within ten to fifteen minutes, we're bound to come across a stream or something."

Yukari frowned. "I don't know if he can survive in those fifteen minutes."

Naruto continued to sob. In the midst of his hazy mind, he knew how pathetic he was becoming. When he was in pain before due to the process of his transformation, no matter how much, he never clung to anyone. He braced himself and cried alone, squeezing the pain down and conquering it through willpower. He wouldn't deny though, that he's in his most vulnerable during his glitches. He feels weak every damn time this happens. And right now, when he's got Sasuke beside him, he couldn't help but reach out and maybe have the pain taken away.

"I'm sorry…" He heard Sasuke's soft voice gently whispered against his ear as his arms tightened around his waist. "I'm so sorry. I can't do anything. Just hold on."

Sasuke felt the blonde's head move into a curt nod and he squeezed a little tighter. To Sasuke's horror, not five minutes later, Naruto's skin started to turn raw red while his touches felt like fire. It was starting to hurt Sasuke too what with the way Naruto's fiery skin was touching his own, but he chose to ignore the prickling pain. If Naruto was having a difficult and painful time enduring his fever, he'd never shy away to the same predicament. After all, they _are_ rivals. Why would he back down?

He closed his eyes shut when he saw the reddening flesh of Naruto's face. He couldn't take this, how long do they have to wait until this stops? How long can Naruto hold until he can't do it anymore?

Someone shouted at the marshal with a panicking voice, asking to hurry it up. Everyone knew that Naruto wasn't faring well anymore.

"…sas…" He heard a whimper of his name.

"I'm here. I'm here." He held on to Naruto, careful not to irritate the raw flesh of his wounds.

Five minutes more and Sasuke could almost make out the tissues of Naruto's arms because of too much rawness. Naruto was starting to cough blood, and it was scaring the shit out of Sasuke. He wanted to snap, how he fucking wanted to unleash his hidden chakra and just… just lash out. He wanted to take Naruto by his arms and run as fast as he could towards the nearest body of water and leave the shit of a wagon behind. If only they weren't in hiding, he would have done so. But he knows that if he did, Naruto's efforts would be wasted. He doesn't want that, so even as much as it hurts him, he just bit the inside of his mouth and waited.

Sasuke was never a man of religion, but as he watched Naruto wheeze and his skin peels off because of too much heat, he found himself praying to whoever gods and deities there were out there to please… _Just fucking please save him._

"I see water!" Sasuke's head snapped up towards the henchman after hearing that. He quickly turned to Yukari and ordered, "Get all the blankets that we have ready. And also a change of clothes for the both of us."

Yukari nodded and immediately rummaged through their packs. Seeing that the little girl has acted upon his words, Sasuke immediately jumped down the wagon and ran through the general direction where the henchman pointed at. He cursed. He felt like a damned turtle trying to run, and the metaphor wasn't that far off either since he really was slow compared to his usual speed. "Dobe, you better hang in there. We're almost there."

True to his prediction, they reached the stream within a minute.

He never hesitated, didn't even paused to think about anything. When he saw the welcoming water, he immediately jumped in along with Naruto, submerging both themselves until past their heads.

Naruto thrashed violently upon contact, but Sasuke anticipated that so he held on tighter. He waited for a few more seconds before emerging again. They gasped for air until Naruto got enough and started to weakly wriggle his way out of the offending surface. Sasuke never let go, he instead dipped Naruto and himself on the water until it reached his shoulders, all the while whispering '_I'm here'._

Naruto just sobbed and clung to Sasuke for dear life. And Sasuke hugged back.

He didn't know how long they were there, but he knew that he was almost feeling numb from the cool water. It was only thanks to Yukari's call that he knew they were cold enough.

Thick, warm blankets welcomed them at the shore along with the worried faces of the old man and the two middle-aged lady as well as the ever poker-face of Yukari. He grabbed the blankets and covered the shivering blonde with it.

"I've set up a tent." Yukari softly informed. "You can use it both."

"Tent? Aren't we leaving?"

"You don't have to worry about that young man. It's nearing night anyway, so we really should stop the travel lest we want some bandits ambushing us." The old man said, his fading green eyes scanning over Naruto's burned skin. "Those are some nasty wounds. I hope it doesn't scar."

"Don't worry. I'm a healer, and I can mend that much." The little girl looked thoughtful. "I just hope I can say the same with the internal damage."

One of the two middle-aged ladies, the one with a plump body and brownish skin, crouched over to see better of Naruto's condition. "He's shivering." She stated. "You should get him out of those clothes. While you're at it, take yours off too and heat him up."

"Ha?" Sasuke stared dumb.

The lady smirked. "You perverted brat. It's common knowledge to do body contact for heating." Sasuke willed the warmth of his face away. "Anyway, what're your names?"

Sasuke immediately raked his brains. Since Naruto had pretty much called the first syllables of his name for the world to hear, he can't abruptly change it. It would look suspicious. However, it wasn't in his nature to suddenly think of names starting with _'Sas'_, it's more of Naruto's forte.

Fortunately for him, the lady took the momentary silence as whether Sasuke should tell her their names or not since even she hasn't introduced herself yet. "Oh, good gracious. Pardon me. My name is Tonet. The old man there is Hemuro, and the other lady over there is Richida. We three live in the same neighborhood."

The time that she has introduced them was enough time for Sasuke to think, _bless his genius brain. _"Sashil." Fine, it wasn't the best he could find and he knows it's fucking _weird_, but that was all he could think of given the time. "This one is Ei, and the girl over there is Yukari." Good thing he didn't need to change the girl's name. "We weren't really born in Suna, we're from Fangs. We just went to Sunagakure after learning that the healer Chihiyo was there. Only, we didn't get to meet her since she passed on."

"Ah, yes, yes." Tonet bobbed her head. "I heard of that. Terrible accident."

"So now you're going to Konohagakure?" Richida, the other lady, popped in, one hand clutching a huge bowl filled with hot soup while the other has sets of serving bowls and utensils as well as bread. "Eat. It'd make both of you feel better. As for the young lady over there, I figured you'd want to come join us? You know, after you're done with your work."

"Right. Because Tonet just suggested for both boys to go naked and hump each other." Old man Hemuro mumbled quietly, although loud enough for Sasuke to hear and understand what he meant.

"Oh! Please. Never mentioned the _'humping' _part." Tonet smirked. "Although it's a better way of heating the body."

Sasuke on the other hand, pretended he never heard any suggestive smiles and lewd comments just for the sake of his sanity. He didn't say anything more, and the three old folks understood their need to be left alone so they went back to join the bonfire that was made along with the other travelers. Without waiting for another year to pass, Sasuke carried Naruto against his chest towards the tent.

"You can take off his clothes." Yukari silently said once they got inside and Naruto was comfortably laid across a warm blanket, her unwavering eyes staring right back at Sasuke's. "Or I can."

"I'll do it." The raven immediately replied. He didn't want anyone stripping Naruto off, or seeing his nakedness for the matter. He'd let the healer roam her hands above his body for check-up, just for these situations, and nothing more. Or Sasuke was afraid he'd lose his temper.

He waited until the girl was looking the other way before he started his work. Trembling hands reached out to fumble over Naruto's clothes. Amazingly enough, Sasuke already felt a little hot just by doing that.

He took off Naruto's clothes slowly and carefully, mindful of the open wounds from the burns. Naruto shivered when the air kissed his skin, and Sasuke could only frown. After taking everything off, he didn't dare to stare or look at the pale body beneath him and just quickly grabbed a blanket to dry him. He immediately worked his way before covering Naruto's nether regions and calling out the healer for the start of inspection.

Onyx eyes watched with interest as Yukari made her miracles, closing the open wounds with just the touch of her glowing green chakra. After ensuring that the girl was doing a good job, he went his way outside and behind the tent to dry himself and change into another pair of pants. Wanting to make sure he has enough body heat he could share with Naruto, he wrapped himself with the warm blanket and went back inside.

"The fever has receded considerably and the wounds are already healed." The little girl informed him once he settled himself to sit beside Naruto. "He's still unconscious though, and he's shivering. It's your turn to work."

Sasuke grunted.

He never looked behind him when he felt the girl stood up and walk away to join the other travelers, he just stared and stared at Naruto, wondering what he would do now. No, fuck that, Sasuke _knows_ what to do, he just wasn't sure if he had the confidence to do so.

_Fuck, Uchiha. He's gonna die with your cowardice._

After a good mental berating, he gently lay down beside Naruto and wrapped a blanket along with his own over the two of them. He shyly scooped Naruto closer to himself, mentally kicking himself for being such a virgin when they have been sleeping together in one bed for weeks.

_Cold._

Naruto's skin was cold, so he did what he could and rubbed his palms against Naruto's cold arms, his shoulders and his back. He called out a little of his chakra to increase his temperature, smiling when his charge cuddled closer. Five minutes later, Naruto opened his tired eyes and revealed those blazing crimson orbs.

"You're awake."

Naruto nodded and nuzzled Sasuke's bare chest. They twisted and turned to be a comfortable tangle of limbs from the awkward position they previously had, and Sasuke was thankful that their closeness was doing good with Naruto's recuperation.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke breathed out.

"…cold. But it's getting better."

Sasuke nodded and bravely roamed his warm palms over Naruto's torso down to his hips, although he didn't dare to venture lower for fear of losing control. He didn't want to ravish the boy there and then when he's still half-dazed because of his illness. Besides, if he'd do that, he'd make sure first that Naruto has already perfectly understood his intentions. "Come, sit. You've got to eat."

"…no. Too tired."

"Dobe… you have to if you want to get better."

Naruto tiredly sat up, while Sasuke positioned himself behind Naruto so the boy was sitting between his legs and he could lean on his chest. It looked like Naruto understood what he was doing since the blonde (albeit now whitish blonde but still blonde nonetheless), cuddled back to him, seeking for the warmth his body offered.

Sasuke picked up a bowl and filled it with hot soup. It would have been impossible to make Sasuke personally feed a patient in normal circumstances, but now was not normal since it was Naruto needing his attention. So he picked up a spoon, scooped a small amount of soup, and feed it to the blonde. He managed to make Naruto sip at least plenty of times when Naruto himself got too tired and fell asleep just like that.

_At least he had something._

Without any options, he carefully laid Naruto back down and followed suit, wrapping his arms around his most treasured person and kissing his forehead goodnight.

Sasuke never let go throughout the night.


	19. Chapter 18

Okay, I'm updating again although this chapter is more of a filler. Please don't hate me with this.

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><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

The busy market of the small village they frequented in the Land of Fangs was nothing compared to the busy streets of Konoha. More specifically, that very same small village was nothing in comparison with the gigantic territory and population of Konoha. Sho now understood why this village hidden in the leaves was envied by other nations. The geography was great, hidden in the middle of vast forest of huge trees, bodies of water could be accessed in every turn, and the climate was tropically good. He couldn't say if Konoha had the most recent technologies since he hasn't been in other countries yet, but he sure knows that this village is prosperous.

Too bad though, because he loathes the political heads of this cursed place because of what they did to their leader.

Much to Sho's dismay, it seemed that the girls here are more modernized and liberated and much bolder than those in that small village. They blatantly stared at him and whispered, plenty of them even had the guts to _accidentally_ bump into him. A few girls even dared to talk to him and ask for his name and his address and whatever personal information he never wished to discuss with an outsider. In this aspect, Sho could say that the small village was much more tolerable than here.

And then the squeals started. It was as if thousands of fucking frogs joined together to form one shitty choir, and Sho could only think of one word: _Fuckers._

However, his little stroll down the street paid off to be useful since he has been hearing a lot of talk from the town folks about the sightings of a certain young Uchiha. It certainly was a part of their plan, some sort of a greeting and announcement that something is going to happen. Oryu thought it was a good distraction while Naruto was resting.

They – he and everyone else in Naruto's group of familiars – could have appeared once Naruto collapsed on the journey back here in Konoha, because that was their difference from a summons. Summoned beings cannot appear in front of their master unless he called out, they can't do a single jutsu without their master's words; but familiars, like them, aren't bound to wait for orders before they could do anything. They can fight all at once without their master's orders and chakra support.

Summons are bound by contract, and that contract ceases when the summoner dies. Familiars are different. They all can do what they feel like to do without waiting for orders; in a sense, they are like a person of their own, but they are bound by the never breaking thread of loyalty. Loyalty to their master and only that one master until the day they cease to exist. They cannot be stolen, they cannot swear to another allegiance while their master lives.

Naruto was a special case though.

Truthfully, it wasn't Naruto whom they swore their loyalties to but Kyuubi. However, since _things _happened, Kyuubi has already arranged their loyalties to be passed down to the successor.

Anyway, they could have appeared and help once they saw through Oryu's crystallized chakra when Naruto collapsed. And for fuck's sake, Sho really wanted to materialize in the earth's realm when he saw that bastard of an Uchiha snuggled with a naked Naruto. How dare the guy strip off their leader's clothes?

_He's just an arrogant bastard because he doesn't have an ounce of a fucking idea what really is happening._

"S… sorry!" A small, shy voice of a girl got Sho's attention and he stopped his tracks.

He watched, there in front of him with a good few meters away, as a girl with straight, long, black tresses panicky bowed to someone. Groceries were clutched tightly against her chest, but some of the contents fell off when she bowed too much. She frantically kneeled down to grab the fallen items, all the while apologizing.

Sho didn't like the busy display and panic movements she made, but one look to her eyes got him instantly moving from his spot to help her. She had purple, almost white, irises; and there was only one thing he could think of: she was blind. And the people around her kept pushing and glaring and bumping to and at her. What Sho didn't expect though, as he kneeled down to her level was for her to be that type of beauty.

She was pale, creamily so, and the deep blush that sported on her cheeks were a good contrast. Sho didn't expect for a beautiful blind girl. When he picked up the items and handed those to her, however, he was caught in another surprise as she looked directly into his eyes.

His brows frowned in confusion. _Isn't she blind?_

When their staring was prolonged, Sho got another surprise when the blush on her face intensified. "You can see?"

The girl spluttered and mumbled incoherent words that got Sho irritated in an instant. It seems she wasn't that oblivious to his annoyance though, because she immediately shut her mouth with an audible click. She quietly picked up her groceries and stood up before smiling shyly at him. "I'm really sorry about that."

"Huh." Sho raised a brow. "So you can talk normally."

She gave him a crooked smile. "I get flustered when I panic. I was a lot worse before though."

He somehow liked the refreshing and soothing aura she gives off, and maybe that was why he didn't hesitate when he reached out to grab one of the huge bags in her arms to help her. "Come on. Let's get you out of here. Fucking market hurts my head."

He thought she'd shy away when he accidentally slipped a curse, but she just looked at him with a rather surprised face before giggling softly.

They talked about small things as they walked towards her destination, and Sho found it surprising how he easily talked and made snide comments about the things she brought their conversation about. Well, it's not that he wasn't really a talker like some _bastard_ he unfortunately got acquainted because of their blonde leader. The only thing was, he never was a talker with someone he doesn't know. Someone he just met. Like her.

But she was different, he could tell. And he blames it again to her smoothing presence – sort of like a mother. It's just that, she was so easy in the eyes, and her every movement and laugh screamed graceful. Maybe he just hasn't met someone like her before that he hasn't got the chance to know that, _oh, I can get along well with these kinds of people._

Another one of the things to surprise Sho was when they stopped in front of a colossal gate with a clan mark at the top. More specifically, the Hyuuga clan mark. "Should've known."

"Hm?"

"Your eyes." He gestured towards her eyes. "I should have known you're part of the Hyuuga clan. The first thing that came to mind when I saw you being pushed around was blind, not Hyuuga."

The girl chuckled. "I get that a lot when I'm on a mission."

"Missions. Great. You're a ninja."

"Well, it's not my fault you haven't noticed my head band." She tugged at the loose fabric on her neck, Konoha's mark proudly engraved and shining against the light.

Sho scoffed. "It's called _head band_, stupid. Not necklace. Of course I wouldn't look _there _when it should have been up here."

The girl let out a hearty laugh. "Okay, you've made your point."

So much pair of pale eyes watched Sho as he took a step into the clan's compound, and it slightly unnerved him. He felt like a fucking freak on display and free for watching. The girl, whose name he discovered as Hinata, quickly caught on though, and he was grateful that they immediately left after putting the grocery bags down.

"I… I'm s… sorry about that." She stuttered again. One irritating glare from Sho however, got her from panicking. She took collective of breaths to calm her nerves down before speaking again. "It's just… my family hasn't been the most open clan in the world. We've been keeping to ourselves, and it was only from the help of someone that my clan has started to open up for the past few years."

"Not like anyone can just instantly wipe out your old age customs."

She gave him a smile. "Ah, well, he wasn't just anyone. And it was a good start."

They went to the outskirts of the town where the forest starts and where a huge tablet stone was erected right before the entrance. It was black, and shining. Numerous engraves were neatly scattered across the surface. Sho didn't know what it was, but from the looks that settled on Hinata's face, he would say it was a pretty important place.

He watched as she stepped towards the tablet, hands reaching out to run the tip of her fingers across the smooth surface up to the edges of engraved words. He went to walk towards her but abruptly stopped just behind her when his icy-blue eyes landed on where the tips of her fingers stopped.

_What a fucking irony._

There, at the tip of her hand, was a name he'd always known; the name of their leader – Uzumaki Naruto.

"It's the list of the brave shinobi that died in action." She sweetly whispered with a longing look in her pale eyes.

_Died? Bullshit!_ Sho's fists trembled. He couldn't believe how fucking sly those old raccoons are. They really stripped everything away from Naruto. They denied him of his right, of his home, of his friends, and of his fucking life. Silvery blue eyes narrowed at the engraved name. _You fools better celebrate while you still can._

"He was a great ninja, you know." She quietly stated. "He wouldn't give up for the world when he's already set his goals. I always admired that straightforwardness. He believed even when the others didn't, and he continued to hold on."

_I know…_ He bit the inside of his lips, refraining himself from revealing the secret that he was entrusted with.

"He was a great friend." She gave a breathy chuckle. "He was my first love. But…"

Sho knew it was inevitable for people to love Naruto. It was somewhat expected from the people whom he has touched the lives. He didn't mind, honestly. He didn't mind that Hinata Hyuuga just told her that he was her first love. He didn't mind when he thought that there's a possibility for that _loved_ to be returned to _loves_ once she knows that he's still alive. He didn't mind. So how come he would get into maximum annoyance when it's about Uchiha being with Naruto? Confused and lost, he waited for her to continue.

"But he only had his eyes for someone…"

Sho stilled. _Oh fuck. I know where this is going._

Hinata, the oblivious girl that she was, just turned to smile at Sho. "He only had his eyes for his best friend. Surprisingly enough, his eyes didn't belong to the _girl_ best friend but to the other best friend which was a boy." Thin fingers reached up and hooked the loose strands of her hair back to her ears. "Funny thing was… I wasn't bothered. No one was."

"You weren't bothered?"

Hinata shrugged. "Everyone was aware how much pain his best friend has caused him, but no one said anything about their… strange connection." She turned back to the monument, her eyes expertly landing on that one name she has been staring at for the past year. "I wasn't bothered. No one was. Probably because everyone knew the both of them only really had their eyes for each other."

Sho closed his eyes and savored the feel of the wind against his face.

He knew. He was part of _'everyone'_ that she was talking about. He knew that since the beginning, they really only had each other. Since the beginning, he knew that his constant nagging to their blonde leader would lead him to nowhere, even after he claimed that he loves Naruto.

Now, he was forced to face the reality that he has refused to look upon since a year ago. He would never have the chance to have Naruto's heart. Strange thing was… it didn't hurt.

…

Keisuke stared at the tattoo with all of the world's wonder in his wide golden eyes, so many things running at the back of his mind.

It was strange. Why was there a tattoo _there _of all places? He wondered briefly if it hurts. He wondered when it was done. And he wondered why the guy with orangey-red hair and sea-foam eyes wasn't moving or even flinching as he kept staring at the tattoo.

"What's your name?"

One eye heavy with eyeliner ticked.

"…Gaara."

"What's that mean in your forehead?"

Another tick.

"…It's a kanji for love."

"Love? Why?"

Gaara sighed. "Because I didn't know of it when I was young."

"And you know it now?"

There was a small tint of pink on the stoic man's face. "…Fortunately."

"Waa… That's so cool…"

Gaara of the sand didn't know what happened. He just got especially uneasy after Naruto's visit a few days ago asking for help with the passes. Having a feeling that it wasn't such a good idea because of the political issues and dangers revolving around the blonde, he quickly up and left for Konoha so he could warn the Hokage that Naruto was coming. As much as possible, he wanted every danger as far away as possible. Although with the recent events of a possible upcoming war, he cannot exactly say it's possible.

Especially since the danger was the higher echelons itself.

He was traveling by sand, a few hours late than what he planned since he had pressing matters to attend and do as the Kazekage, when all of a sudden, before the gates of Konoha, there was this young kid who… pulled the sand.

He didn't know what happened, or how it was possible, but with the kid's bare hands, he grabbed a fistful of his sand and yanked. It startled Gaara, of course, and he was about to attack when he saw this kid with pretty features. He could have sworn the kid was a girl because of the soft touches and long hair; a girl who only got this wide and curious golden eyes. Perhaps she was gifted with unusual abilities (because it was unusual for Gaara to be sensed when he's a sand), or perhaps she was just curious and wondered why there was a storm of sand scurrying together which is why she reached out and grabbed. Still, how could she do that?

And it turns out that the little girl wasn't really a girl, but a boy. A very girly-boy to the point that he was instantly deceived if he didn't introduce himself as Keisuke.

"How did you grab me?"

Keisuke tilted his head, his eyes confused as to what Gaara was talking about. "What are you saying? I just grabbed. That's all."

"Sand isn't something you can hold with your palms, Keisuke."

"Huh." White head bobbed. "But I could do that ever since forever…"

"You seriously have no idea?"

"Well…" Pink lips pouted. "Eh, Oryu used to tell me it was because of magnetism. It's in my blood to control metal, you see."

Gaara mentally smacked himself. Of course. There were theories regarding that from so many advanced books, but not one experiment ever really succeeded into using metals to lump million grains of sands altogether to make one solid matter. Besides, aside from advanced justsus learned from rare scrolls and Kekkei Genkais using metal releases and senbons or Kunai techniques, there wasn't really a report of some metal aspect using bare hands and just grab a sand storm. But here Keisuke is with all his innocence randomly pulling sands like it's some sort of solid thing; as if it's the most natural thing to do.

"Ga-chan. Ga-chan!" Keisuke almost hopped up and down in front of him, "Where are you going? Take me with you! I wanna ride the sand!"

Gaara's eye twitched when he heard his new nickname from a boy he just met. He didn't know if it was because he didn't have any younger siblings that he found himself tolerating the ridiculous name-calling and relenting to the young boy's wishes; but he had to admit that a smiling and excited Keisuke is a sight to see, a refreshing wave in the midst of the scorching heat. So he shrugged the namesake, held the boy's hand, and whisked them both away with his sands and flew towards the _other_ reason why he went here for a visit – reason aside from Naruto's business; his special reason. Besides, he very well cannot meet the Hokage and discuss serious matter with a kid in tow.

A good ten minutes later after roaming above Konoha for the sake of the energy ball Keisuke, they went and landed towards a vast space of a huge compound.

Keisuke didn't know where they are or why they went inside a private property, but before he could pester and ask the red-head, his eyes has caught sight of a marvelous being dancing with grace and precision. Or maybe he wasn't dancing, perhaps he was practicing a move or something, although to Keisuke's eyes, he certainly looked like a graceful dancer what with all the hand movements and all.

The young man dancing with grace had long chocolate hair tied at the base, and Keisuke would have teased him as girly but stopped himself because really, even with the long hair and pale skin, the guy didn't even reek any femininity. On the other hand, he looked… manly.

Golden eyes turned to his companion of a red-head and saw jaded glimmering eyes.

Keisuke saw that look before, and he could swear that he saw that look from Sasuke whenever he's secretly watching Naruto. And then, with Keisuke's simplicity, his mind made everything just click. He grinned.

After a few more minutes, the guy with the long hair stopped his dancing and turned and walked to them without slowing down. And to Keisuke's delight and excitement and wonder, the guy scooped Gaara by the waist and kissed him senseless in one full swoosh.

Golden sparkling eyes grew wide as seconds tick by. He watched as Gaara's hand tried to push the other guy at first but then pulled him closer not one moment later. He saw tongues clashed and hands groped, and then there was a long satisfied moan.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity without breathing, or so what Keisuke thinks, the two finally pulled apart, their noses touching.

"Neiji…" Gaara whispered. "We have an audience."

Neiji smirked. "I know. That's why I did it."

Gaara sent him a reproachful glare which Neiji just replied with a chuckle before nuzzling that mass of red hair affectionately. "I missed you."

The red-head smiled a tiny smile, one which Keisuke knew only belongs to Neiji. "Yeah. Me too."

The two lovers went silent for a moment, savoring the feel of one another as they finally met again. For the both of them, it was hard to be together since one is a Kazekage and the other is a part of a prestigious clan. They meet once in a while, and every time, they don't know when the next time will be, so they would always make the most of their time together. They had to admit though, that it's hard to be in a relationship when they're countries apart.

Gaara would be plagued by ideas and what if's concerning Neiji being forced into a marriage his clan organizes. He's always left terrified after such thought. Neiji on the other hand, worries that his red-head would be stolen by another man with more power, more strength, and more prestigious name. After all, Gaara _is_ the Kazekage, a young Kazekage who's not married.

It's difficult and it's maddening, that's why Neiji convinced Tsunade to make him the Konoha's ambassador – which the Hokage gave approval of. So now, he's just waiting for the documents to be finished for everything to be official. And he'd never be apart from his lover anymore.

"Wow…" The serene time was broken by the wide-eyed wonder. "That was so cool… I wonder if Naru-chan and Sasuke would do that too…"

Two heads snapped at his direction at once.

_What did he just say…?_

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><p><em><em>Reviews, reviews reviews!

i'm eating those! It's my vitamins. :)


	20. Chapter 19

I really hate it when I gather my things and someone would take them into storage! Next thing I know, they don't remember where they hid it! Plus... can u believe it?

Someone -one of the management- was snoring so fucking loudly in the office! And they tell us to do our jobs. Hypocrite much?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19:<strong>

Tsunade watched as everyone in her dark office stood with so much tension, anticipating what was so urgent and important that they had to come here secretly and past midnight too. She carefully took in each and everyone's presence, contemplating whether she has summoned the right person to trust with the secrets of the council. The Konoha 12 who weren't as twelve as before because of two missing ninjas and weren't as rookie as they were once before seeing that most of them are Jounin now, some are Anbu. Tsunade knows she can trust them at least, along with their respective mentors, with the situation regarding Naruto.

Genma, Anko and Ibiki are also there, as well as Shizune and Iruka. Her loyal Jounin Commander Nara Shikaku was there too, someone she would always have around in case she needs unbiased intelligence. As for now, those are the people she needed; and they all looked like they were going to war.

Right beside her was Gaara of Sand, glowering at each and every occupants of the room, assessing their loyalties. His presence made an urgent feel in this meeting and Tsunade honestly didn't know whether it was a good thing or not.

"Ibiki," Her voice sliced through the air. "A silencing Jutsu please."

The interrogator cast her long and calculative glance before twisting his fingers into different signs and carrying out the order.

The atmosphere inside was as if a war was about to break out, and she would have laughed at their serious faces if not for the fact that a real civil war is about to begin in the near future.

"I gathered you here to inform you of a decision made a year ago. A decision I have you know that I never wanted nor have taken any part of." The Hokage started, her words oozing with such seriousness that nobody dared to move, their breaths held in such a tensed way. "I called you over to discuss with you of Naruto's banishment."

Silence prolonged for a moment, the ninjas gathered taking their time to process what their Hokage just said and what it meant. After such an eternity, someone broke the silence._"_The_ fuck?"_

No one bothered to turn and see who opted to say such vulgar words, their own minds busy processing what has been told. Besides, it sounded terribly like Kiba anyway. "What the fuck did you just say? You told us Naruto _died._ He died on a fucking _mission. _And now you're telling us he's alive, somewhere that is obviously not here, because he was _banished?_"

Iruka, the mother-hen Iruka, could only stare and whisper Naruto's name.

Kakashi, along with Sakura and Sai, watched as a familiar scene played before them as the Godaime told them what she herself has told them a few weeks ago. They've already heard everything and they knew about the rest, so instead of being riled up like the rest of the people inside the office did as the secrets went exposed, they just stood by and listened while the Hokage told them everything from the banishment, to the secret chase of the council, and of her orders given to Kakashi's team to find Naruto,

Everyone was stunned by each revealing facts, especially those who knew politics. The two Naras immediately huddled together with the Hokage, Ibiki, and Gaara, while the rest listened gravely. Tsunade revealed of the massacre order roughly ten years ago of the Uchiha clan, Danzo's want of Hokage's title, and then everything just clicked together like a piece of puzzle. Everyone understood what those actions meant and what the consequences of such illegal acts should be.

After processing every bit of information, silence ensued once more before Tsunade gave a long suffering sigh.

"Uchiha." She called out whilst rubbing the bridge of her nose.

Everyone raised a brow, wondering if the Hokage has gone nuts for calling out to a certain missing-nin who was clearly _missing. _Although the raised brow was immediately replaced with a frown when a chakra suddenly flickered from one dark corner of the room.

"What is it?" A deep male voice answered, and every ninja, sans Kakashi's team although even they had been shamefully rattled too, grabbed their weapons alert and ready to attack, but Tsunade raised her hand.

They looked into onyx eyes that still looked as cold as ever. "What's a criminal doing here, Hokage-sama?" Kiba, the ever tactful Kiba, almost growled out at their leader, Akamaru mirroring his animosity, beady eyes never leaving the aloof Uchiha who was wearing only a dark blue Kinagashi, both hands crossed in front of his chest and inside his sleeves.

"Uchiha," Tsunade continued as if Kiba's outburst was nothing but a passing wind. "Tell them what happened to your clan."

Said Uchiha stared at Tsunade with dead eyes, before raising a brow.

"Damnit! Uchiha!" Tsunade threw him one of the paper weights, those that weighed at least ten pounds she purchased for special purposes such as this, but the boy just oh so gracefully ducked. "For fuck's sake! I can't believe you! You just have to tell them what Itachi told you, is that so difficult to utter?" The Hokage roared, her nose flaring, and the tensed atmosphere lifted up a bit.

"Hn."

And then someone laughed. The laughter full of joy and blessings of a thousand sunshines, a laughter they never heard for more than a year. "Maa, Baa-chan. You know very well you can never win against Sasuke-teme."

Collective gasps exploded the moment Naruto stepped out from the shadow. No one moved, although they blatantly stared at their supposedly dead friend, not even registering to anyone's mind the growl of their Hokage's _'Don't call me that!'_, afraid that the Hokage gathered them just to play some sick joke on them. After a year of mourning and believing that their number one knuckle-head ninja who always declared that he would someday be Hokage was dead, they doubted if the blonde over there, standing right beside Uchiha Sasuke, really was their blonde. Especially after they noticed how close he physically was to Sasuke Uchiha without getting mutilated even after the avenger has already tried several failed attempts.

Besides, he couldn't be Naruto what with all these… certain different things on his appearance.

"Naruto?" Kiba tentatively called out.

"What, dog-breath?" Naruto stuck out his tongue.

Kiba stared. And he stared more. His normal brain not really sure whether to be surprised by seeing him alive or by seeing these… _changes_. "Are you really…?" He slowly drawled out, his hands rising up to point at Naruto, as if by doing so, the hallucinations would disappear."But… why the heck do you look so fucking _girly?_"

Naruto's eyes widened at that and he scowled. _That _was a real touchy subject for him and he was glad that Kakashi and the rest didn't point it out when they met. It's not that he could do anything about it, really. Actually, he has no idea how he came to change like this, although he suspects it has something to do with Kyuubi. In the beginning, he didn't really see the changes, not until one day, a disgusting young man fucking tried to hit on him. In which he knew that something really was wrong when those encounters just increased as the months flew by.

"I'm not a girl, Inuzuka!" Although his lips jutting out a little screamed otherwise, his glare not even reducing it a notch.

"Don't worry, my friend! It's not that you look like a youthful girl!" Lee chimed in like a lightning with his usual grin and pose, attempting to soothe Naruto's wounded pride. "We just wouldn't know what your gender is if we haven't known each other since we were a kid!"

"Then why are you using a henge?" Kiba continued as if Lee never said anything else in the first place. "What, is this some kind of a caution so no one knows you're here? You're easy to recognize though…" At this, two byakugan users immediately activated their abilities, in which one gasped while the other smirked.

"Well," Neiji snickered. "I'll be damned."

"Shut up Hyuuga!"

"What? What?" Kiba twirled around.

In this point, Sai decided to join in. "He's just showcasing his dicklessness."

"Sai you traitor!"

"I'm not a traitor Naruto. I just didn't point it out the first time because of urgency of the matters."

"I can't believe it!" Ino's high-pitched voice could be heard in the background. "Naruto's cuter than me?"

"You just said it yourself though." A quiet whisper came from Tenten.

"Huh. So that's your real – " Naruto snapped his head at Kiba, his glare never withering down.

"Shut up dog-breath! Don't you dare laugh at me!" He immediately added upon seeing Kiba's weird and warped face which is in no doubt morphing into a silly grin.

Naruto was ready to pounce on whoever dared mention his predicament again. He was especially ready to pounce on Kiba who was harboring a funny face which indicated a suppressed laughter if the shaking of his shoulders was something to go by. However, before their usual mad ranting and name-calling started, a blur of green and brown dashed forward to their hyper-active blonde.

"Naruto!" Iruka's voice trembled in disbelief and he clutched his brother figure a little tighter, dreading the time that it's time for him to wake up and attend the school. Naruto, for his part, knew of Iruka's doubts. He himself couldn't believe it, it was just a few weeks ago that he was sitting on their coffee table without any deluded thoughts that he'd get to be back to Konoha. Feeling the warmth of his father figure seeping through his clothes and onto his skin makes this all the more real.

Short spasms ran a course through his body as he desperately willed his tears not to fall. He missed this. He missed his family, his home. Never had he dreamt that he still has these people waiting for him. Blue eyes clashed with onyx, searching for anchor, and when he saw those eyes he loves so much twinkle in gentle understanding, he immediately calmed down and a soft smile lightened up his face. He slowly ran his hands up to clutch at Iruka's back, comforting the sobbing adult.

"Iruka." He wanted to announce a_ 'Tadaima'_ to his ears, but he very well knew that that particular privilege was stripped off him a long time ago, and though he can savor this homey feeling for now, he knows that this is but a temporary thing.

That didn't stop the rookie 12 into welcoming him home though.

…

After everything settled down, the serious talk resumed and all were focused once more on the matter at hand, except perhaps Naruto who was observing Kakashi.

When he had called out to his familiars earlier from the shadows, it was no surprise that every ninja gathered had tensed once more. Especially since no one had felt them, not even the byakugan users who had activated their eyes. It was a trick Naruto learned from the summons though, a very convenient trick. He thought about the teleportation abilities of those summons, and what would happen if he freezes the process right at the middle and have them stranded in a separate plane.

It was hard work unveiling the method. He almost gave up, but he had nothing better to do during those nights that he'd be thinking about 'what-could-have-beens' so he persevered instead and chose to fill up his mind. It was a bloody war, but it was worth it.

That's beside the point though.

Blue eyes watched Kakashi's moves, and Naruto was far from pleasant seeing how his previous mentor is clearly ignoring Oryu, who would sneak a side glance or two. It was so easy to see, more so since he was leaning against the farthest wall of the room overseeing everything.

He curled his fingers into a fist and bit his lip, mind reeling a thousand thoughts a minute, none of which are good. He mostly wondered if they'll be like this forever. Easily taunted, but never taken seriously.

Onyx eyes, on the other hand, were watching his sunshine haired best friend without the other noticing. Though Sasuke has to admit that the idiot would probably miss his eyes even if he was blatantly staring at him, just because his pessimistic mind decided to play a negative film.

He almost rolled his eyes when he saw Naruto furrowed his brows just a bit, his teeth biting his lips, and his fingers curling. The idiot is working himself over nothing again and Sasuke could almost see the reason why. Well, he's not blind not to see Kakashi's fucking screw-up.

A sigh escaped those pale lips as he discreetly reached deft fingers to uncurl Naruto's and intertwine them against his. It was unbecoming of him, but his method worked when a startled Naruto looked up at him, no traces of worry left.

Sasuke waited until the idiot caught on, and true to his predictions, after harboring an adorable confusion in his eyes, Naruto just flushed. In a snap. Where even his ears and neck were sporting red, and probably even to the root of his hairs.

He tried to tug free, but Sasuke won't have it. He retained their intertwined hands against his hips and smirked.

"_Idiot." _Naruto hissed. And it would have been effective if Sasuke's terrific mind was not screaming 'adorable' inside. Although he would deny it and carry that secret with him until he dies.

It was mission accomplished though. Because even if Naruto was not able to focus on the meeting any better than before, at least it's because of Sasuke's fingers and not because of other people's love life.

_Hn. _His mind smugly scoffed.

Kakashi's still screwed though and even Sasuke won't deny it.

…

Oryu stared at the memorial tomb in front of him.

Humans really are a puzzle to him. There are some people who would do things so futile like curving names on a stone so other won't forget them, and there are those who easily forget other people even if they're well alive and kicking.

He's confused. And everything is because of that white haired jounin.

It's not that he's suddenly looking for Kakashi's attention. No, of course not. He's just a teeny, weeny, little bit wondering what happened, and if '_that's it, finished, thank you for playing, have a great day!'_

No surprises though. He had learned not to trust Human's passing whims, and he'd be damned if he let Kakashi damage him further.

_I'm not damaged though._

Just miffed, he says in his mind. As what these humans would put it, it was just _Game Over, _and Oryu just couldn't help but think, "Ah. I knew it."

It wasn't tragic but just a resigned statement. He never expected anything in the first place, a good amount of practice makes one be that way.

So he took a lungful of air and released it slowly, the same time as his defenses steeled and locked once more with an echoing clang. This way, no good amount of white haired jounin would crumble his walls.

_Stop thinking about it!_ A voice in his mind chastised and Oryu's eyes sharpened, as if awakened from such a sweet, sweet dream to go back to his reality.

Silvery eyes locked at the names engraved in the tomb and he raised his hands.

…

It was purely coincidental in Kakashi's part. As usual, he was about to go talk to his good ol' friend Obito when he saw a long haired figure standing in front of the tomb. He would never mistake that back, that stance, and that hair, swaying elegantly with the wind that made his heart skip a beat. Which is why he was here, crouching behind a tree, looking pathetic and hiding.

Why would he hide in the first place?

It's not that he's disgusted when Naruto introduced them earlier as his familiar. No, that would be ridiculous.

But the fact remains that he _is_ scared. He's scared of Oryu. He's scared with the way his seemingly non-existent heart thump loud and wild upon seeing him. Decades of training tells him it's dangerous, that it would get him into a life and death situation. And him being a good jounin, instinctively obeyed.

Truthfully, his teasing with the guy was just supposed to be a short-term entertainment. Just until he's there at the cabins, staying with Naruto. When he leaves, he'd forget all of it ever happened. That's the kind of guy he is when it comes to his favorite past time of seeking interesting things. _Enjoy while it lasted, but never cross the line._

Some weeks later, he panicked when some violent butterfly decided to rack his chest upon gazing at that silver eyes again.

_Ahh… I just dug my own grave._

Kakashi suck a breath and glanced a single eye to Oryu. And that was his finishing blow.

The guy was there standing, hands raised, and assortment of fucking flowers peeking out from the earth, slowly creeping towards the tomb to embrace it with their beauty. Petals danced in the wind, and it just made the man look more beautiful. Unlike Kakashi's previous perverted thoughts when he was there in the cabin, his mind now froze and banished all impure thinking, leaving behind a glittering white space full of sparkling feeling.

_My friend, you can't escape anymore…_ He could hear a voice in his head says that sounds awfully like Obito, followed by that familiar snickering. If he'd let his imagination run wilder, he'd even say he was pushed by that idiot from his back, because why else was he here walking towards Oryu like a fucking moth attracted to fire?

Don't these moths ever think they're going to die if they go any further? And why was he thinking about moths in the first place?

While his mind was thinking about stupid moths and stupid Kakashi, his outer self continued to dazedly walk towards danger.

_Kakashi! Stop and walk back, grab a kunai and run! _His inner shinobiKakashi screamed, but his mind remained in its mush form and he continued to walk.

WhenOryu tensed and whirled around to face him, his mind suddenly stopped its turmoil.

_Fuck,_ was all he could think of.

Oryu was guarded once more, or more guarded than he was in the cabin, and Kakashi knows that he'd have a hard time going in his good sides.

"Hatake." Oryu greeted, and Kakashi's insides squeezed.

"Maa, Oryu, what a cold way to greet me." _That's not what I wanted to say though._

Silver eyes stared at him without blinking and he could feel bullets of cold sweat run down his nape.

"Do you need anything?"

Kakashi gulped. "Nothing much. I just wanted to talk to you since I wasn't able to earlier."

"Huh." Oryu tilted his head. "For someone who was hell bent on ignoring me earlier, I didn't think you'd want to talk to me. Not to mention you even hid for a good ten minutes behind that puny tree."

_He saw…_

"What, were you concerned? Did you miss me?" Inner Kakashi shot himself a kunai in his chest. This wasn't all what he wanted to say. He has to apologize, damnit!

Oryu's spectacles glinted and before Kakashi could even blink, the other man had already teleported.

"Damn." He muttered as he crouched in front of Obito whom he swears he could hear laughing his ass off right about now.

…

A loud bang resonated throughout the house and Feng almost jumped out of her skin. She snapped her head to the source of it and was about to ask what happened when Oryu just suddenly ranted.

"That damn ninja." He muttered whilst biting his nails. "I can't believe it! My walls should have been perfect! I _swore_ that he'd never catch me off-guard again! Is there something wrong with me?"

He continued to talk nonsense to himself and Feng amusedly watched.

_Ara~ I'd have to congratulate Kakashi for reducing Oryu in this flustered state._

When a quiet snicker escaped her lips, Oryu suddenly snapped his head to her with wide eyes. They stared at each other before Oryu cleared his throat, straightened himself out, and walked to his own room.

"Huh." Yukari quietly entered the living area having heard of the rather extravagant entrance of their elder. "Why do I get the feeling I know what happened?"

Feng smirked. "Cuz _that's_ what probably happened, my dear."

Reviews pleaaaasee!


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

Shikamaru scratched his head. All of these things really are becoming a trouble indeed.

Everything was going well, that, he can't deny. The council didn't think that their accomplice Danzo, would still be alive, nor did they think that Naruto would get to meet the very evidence of their crime almost ten years ago. Must have been why they were eager to send ANBU to kill the village's hero, to ensure that the two best friends wouldn't meet and the supposedly last living Uchiha would never tattle what he knows. Because if that happens, Naruto, being that devoted to Sasuke, would absolutely ignore all banishment in hell and would give the news to Tsunade immediately.

It was all simple, really, that Shikamaru can't believe it.

The council, being the greedy old bastards that they are, truly believed that Danzo can run the village. Blind of their ideal village in mind, they went on with what Danzo planned, the manipulative little bastard that he is, even wiping the whole Uchiha clan by the hands of their prodigy Itachi. Shikamaru can imagine Danzo saying rich words that got those fools believing, _'They're too dangerous. Their power is progressing even as we speak. It will be no wonder that a rebellion would rise one day. We have to wipe them out and create a new league. A definite soldier that won't disobey the leader's command' _Must be why the Roots were made in the first place.

And the fools with the rotten brain as old as their ages, must have nodded and hummed. Stating that what Danzo says is true, too much power will make them act all high and mighty and they will try to take over at one point.

They must have thought that Sasuke knew once he tried to kill Danzo, and Shikamaru can almost see them huddling at the darkest part of the village, hushing among themselves and biting their nails, repeatedly thinking, _'He must die. He must die or he would unveil what happened almost a decade ago. He must die or he will come after us and the village will suffer. After all, the village will crumble without the council'._

The problem is, the elders of the village will not listen to whatever Sasuke might say and his words will definitely be labeled as madness.

Although one other problem was the council wanting Naruto dead, they already have one lead in their hands. A fallen ANBU, who was a little too late in ending his life and got caught by Kakashi instead. The challenge lies on making him spill the beans. They can ask one of the Yamanakas to have a sweep in his mind, but it's a risky plan against a trained leaf ANBU. The best they can do is having the witness to lose his defenses and make his tongue loose, but how to get him to start talking in the first place?

Small little prickles at the corner of his eye had Shikamaru looking at Kiba before sighing.

The idiot was blatantly staring at Naruto and Sasuke while the others had the decency to focus on their dinner. It's not that he can blame anyone of them as they are currently in front of a very peculiar sight. Although he'd have to commend on Sasuke's teammates for ignoring the two of them and getting on their own businesses.

Everyone is gathered around the table of the Uchiha manor's dining area. It was the best place they could meet to sort things out and plan but no one dared to voice it out, except Naruto. Sasuke had immediately stilled upon suggestion, but to all of their surprise, he just uttered a simple _'Follow me'_ before taking off with Naruto hot on his tails.

Which is why the whole Rookie 12, Kakashi, Naruto's summons and Sasuke's team are gathered here, with one particular Kiba staring at the too close Naruto and Sasuke.

They're not close in a sense that they're all over each other, but they are _definitely_ sitting beside each other too close for a certain anti-social Uchiha who absolutely loathes any contact. What's more is their synchronization, such as Sasuke passing on the chili to Naruto wordlessly, Naruto picking on his vegetables and giving it to Sasuke, Sasuke getting the napkin to stuff it in Naruto's face and so on, all without uttering a single thing sans the occasional name-callings of 'Dobe' and 'Teme'.

It was amusing to watch, but definitely a curious case. What happened to the two of them that got them here? Of course, no one can ever forget how these two had tried to kill each other on numerous occasions, which is why it's all the more mysterious.

To the others anyway. As much as Shikamaru would like to deny it, he could see it coming since Genin days.

_Now we've got another Neji and Gaara. Troublesome…_

"Um…" Kiba broke the silence and to Shikamaru's amusement, both Naruto and Sasuke snapped their heads to his direction. "Eh… How did you two meet outside?"

"Oh." Naruto straightened up and grinned. "Yukari caught Suigetsu."

"She didn' catch me!" Suigetsu immediately countered with his own glare.

"Sure you weren't!" Naruto laughed. "Must be why you were sitting on the floor and tied up when I got home!"

Kiba's eyebrows raised. "Huh? You lost me there. I thought you were fighting when you said Yukari captured him. Wait, Yukari's the little girl right?"

Yukari glared at him from the other end of the table and Kiba nervously laughed.

"No, no!" Naruto cheerfully announced. "I was on a village that day and when I got home, I was really surprised to see him all tied up!"

"Tch. Surprised m'ass! Ya practically announced m'name when ya open'd the damn door." Suigetsu grumbled.

"That's because I smelled you while I was on the way, stupid!"

"Woah! Woah!" Kiba stood up, his eyes gleaming in delight. "You _smelled _him?"

Naruto grinned and bobbed his head. "Yep! I got these super cool senses now!"

"Damn, Naruto! My mom would be happy to adopt you to our family!" Sasuke glared and Kiba faltered. "Em, I mean, well… as a brother, I mean."

Shikamaru almost rolled his eyes. It seems no matter how stupid Kiba is, he didn't _not_ notice the possessive way the Uchiha was handling Naruto, nor did he fail to see that there's just _something_ going on between them. He had to force himself to stop smiling though when Naruto didn't notice the short, murderous, and precise exchange from Sasuke to Kiba.

"Right, right?" Naruto cheered.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Well, I know this is a touching reunion and all, but let's not forget what we really came here for."

…

Naruto sobered up almost instantly when Shikamaru laid out the problem to all of them.

They don't have any means of proving that what Sasuke would say is true in front of the council, and they don't even know how to get the capture start talking. What Naruto's problem, however, is that he actually has the solutions to all of this, but he's not sure if he should lay it down.

One of his conditions when he came here with Sasuke, is that he'd never lift a finger to help any side of the war, not even his comrade. That's the burden he has to carry for being what he is right now…

_But I'm not yet… _

**You're right. **Naruto almost flinched. **You're not yet fully transformed, kid. You can still do as you like while you still have time.**

_Kyuu… But it's still forbidden._

**Naruto. **Kyuubi almost bit out. _**I **_**make the rules. Who do you think will chew my head off?**

_Stupid fox! You're saying that because it won't be _your_ head on the platter when it comes, but mine!_

**Ah, well. That's life.**

Naruto could feel a tick forming on his temple.

Inside his mind, Kyuubi just scoffed and flopped down her mattress, putting aside her brushing of hair for a second for her idiot but beloved son. **"Naruto, the point is, you're not to follow any rules yet." **A smile graced her face as the weather outside her window turned from cloudy to warm. **"You aren't here yet, my boy. And though you've left **_**there**_**, you're still halfway through. Afterwards, well, you can always ditch those rules. No one would hate you for that." **She paused for a second. **"Although Oryu will surely chew your head off."**

_That's not very reassuring! You don't know how scary he is, Kyuu!_

"**Oh, please. I got my share of Oryu's scolding too, you know." **And she continued combing her hair. Realizing that she'd had the silver hair for far too long, she furrowed her brows and turned it blonde before grinning and combing it once more. **"Consequence aren't life threatening anyway. I'd like to remind you it'd be painful though."**

Naruto almost smiled to himself, knowing perfectly well what Kyuubi was talking about. He carefully got up to go to the kitchen, knowing at the back of his minds that Sasuke was watching him talk with Kyuubi inside, and would most probably follow because of his curiousness. He just couldn't believe that right after he placed the glass of water he emptied on the wash bin, Sasuke had already followed and cornered him against the marbled sink, both his hands trapping Naruto from moving away.

"Sasuke." Naruto looked up as he played the shocked role. During times like this does he see the difference in their heights now and it sometime irks him. Especially since he had stopped growing up since last year. Although that aside, Naruto has to say that he really was surprised, not by Sasuke following him but by the closeness of their position. "What are you doing?"

"Don't play games with me, Dobe." Sasuke bit out. "I saw you. You were talking to Kyuubi."

Blue eyes blinked. "Huh. Yes, I was. And?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He knew that something went on what with the expressions Naruto had while they talked, and he doesn't like not knowing because he just _knows_ how reckless Naruto is. "What did he say?"

"_She_, Sasuke, _she_. Although it doesn't make a difference since she's neither."

"Don't change the topic, Usuratonkachi." Sasuke pressed closer, wanting to be threatening, and failing, as Naruto suddenly flushed silly, which Sasuke noticed without fail.

"Uh, no." Blue eyes darted at the side while he gripped at the edge of the sink, pressing himself farther against that marble even as it bit his back. "Well, we were just talking about what to do… I, I actually have a letter from Sandaime-jiji." He looked back to Sasuke at this with a suffering smile before looking down. "When… when Jiraiya died," he gulped, "the toads had given me a bunch of letters. A hundred and two letters. Letters from my father addressed to me for each of my birthdays until I get a hundred years old."

Sasuke's eyes softened at that and he almost forgot he was interrogating Naruto. Almost.

"Can you believe that? What a stupid dad…" Naruto paused for a second before seemingly remembering what he was supposed to be explaining. "Hundred of it was from dad to me. One was a letter which contains a top-ranked mission, and the last one was from Sandaime-jiji."

"I didn't open the sealed scroll at first as I was too excited to open the letter from Jii-chan." Sky blue eyes shyly looked up to Sasuke. "He was asking about me, how I was doing, if the villagers are treating me good… and he was asking about you."

Sasuke almost stilled at that, his brows furrowing in confusion and wonder. "Why me?"

Naruto looked away again, and Sasuke even heard him gulp. "He was asking how you're faring, if all is good, if you're still bitter. And he was asking for your forgiveness…"

Once those words left Naruto's mouth, Sasuke felt the urge to run away. He got a good feeling where this was heading, and he wasn't sure if he's ready to hear it now. But Crystal blue eyes pinned him short from escaping, more so when Naruto reached out to him and caress his neck. "He was asking for forgiveness that he's sure he does not deserve. Asking for forgiveness for being so… so weak. He was asking," Naruto snaked his arms around Sasuke's shoulders and whispered, "he was asking for you to come back and help. Help get rid of the council for what they did to your clan."

Onyx eyes snapped open at that, not even sure when he had closed them. "What?"

"You heard me, Sasuke." Naruto firmly gazed back at him. "He had left a mission for you. A last mission. And that's what the other scroll is all about."

Naruto's voice was barely above a whisper, so much that Sasuke cannot help but compare him to his loud and obnoxious persona he so like to play whenever other people are there. But what Naruto was saying now is all considered a heavy class of information that Sasuke can't help but forget everything else for a moment.

"The scroll," Naruto continued, "it had asked you to search for help from anyone outside the village, because he was sure… Sandaime was sure that the council will not allow you to be helped, to be powerful, while you're here inside the Konoha."

Sasuke can feel himself burning up from all the information that he was getting. He's feeling all riled up to think that everything, from what he did when he was twelve, up to now, for seven years, had been covered by an all-seeing guy. It disturbs him to discover that someone knows what step he will do next, but even he can't deny the fact that this bit of information is so useful it can eradicate those fucking bastards in one go.

"But that's not really believable, Dobe."

Naruto smiled and softened his hold on Sasuke. "Oh, they will believe for sure. Because every Hokage has an insignia that no one can ever replace and imitate because of their chakra and DNA. And both his letters has his sign."

Sasuke was quiet for a moment, contemplating what was told, weighing his chances and what could happen. "He's dead." He finally said. "Words from the dead leader do not count anymore."

"You'll be surprised." Naruto sagely answered, before releasing his hold around Sasuke's shoulders, preferring it to be carelessly laid on the other's chest, and leaning back, still not able to get away because of Sasuke's arms trapping him. "But the point is, the insignia are used for absolute orders. And no one, not even the elders, nor the council, can outlaw it, besides the current Hokage herself."

"Why are you saying it to me now?"

Sasuke will be damned if he did not notice the slight falter in Naruto's expression and he narrowed his eyes. "Dobe."

"M-maa…" Fingers scratched whiskered cheeks. "You know that I'm not supposed to be involved in any war, right? Well, I just can't stand not doing anything. And, and… and I won't sit by and watch as they point their filthy finger at you!"

Sasuke stared long and hard, assessing if what Naruto had said was true. He couldn't detect an ounce of lie on what he said, but he still cannot shake the feeling of uneasiness so he glared. "You're not telling everything."

Naruto looked away and that's all what Sasuke needed before he grasped both of his arms with his hands. "Naruto." He warned.

"Th-there's nothing!"

"You stuttered."

Naruto gasped. "That's not counted! And it doesn't mean I'm not telling anything!"

Cold hands grasped Naruto's face and forced him to look directly into black eyes before the owner dangerously hissed. "You dare lie to me?"

"I'm… I'm not lying." Blue eyes desperately looked down as tanned hands gripped on pale ones.

"Don't pull that fucking crap on me!"

"Well… um, there might be a tiny little bit of, of something."

"I'm listening."

"Okay, sure. Um, you know that we have a problem with making the witness talk, right? Well… I might have a little trick up on my sleeves to do that."

_A trick. _ Sasuke's mind deadpanned. _A fucking trick and he's so scared to tell me. _"And why is that _trick _such a big deal?"

Naruto nervously laughed. "Let's just say that there are… consequences for doing that."

Sasuke stilled all movements, a silent demand for Naruto to keep going, which the blonde obediently did, although obviously hesitant. "It's just going to use a lot of chakra and will in turn quicken the transformation process." _Which means much limited time for me… _Naruto's mind supplied, but he can leave that little bit for later, after everything is done.

Upon hearing the word transformation, Sasuke's mind automatically reeled back to their journey when Naruto was almost raw of meat and blood during his _glitches._ Consuming a lot of chakra will quicken the process he says, so doesn't that mean that he will go through that once more, only worse?

Sasuke jerked back from his hold on Naruto as he stepped back, his eyes swirling with Sharingan before he spat with so much animosity, _"Fuck no!"_

"But it's the only way!"

"NO!" Sasuke swatted away those hands that had tried to cling to him and stop him from retreating. "You're not doing it."

"I am and I will!" Came Naruto's immediate reply as he followed Sasuke. "I told you, Sasuke, this is the only way!"

Swirling red eyes looked back at Naruto sharply. "Fuck that! This is _my_ fucking problem, _you_ stay out of it!"

"Don't be such a bastard about it!" Naruto tried to grab on the hem of his Kinagashi but Sasuke retaliated. "Teme!"

"Shut up!" Sasuke swirled around and gripped Naruto's collar before slamming the younger boy against the wall. "You don't know, you don't _fucking know, _how it feels to fucking watch while your fucking skin peels off every fucking second the last time, Uzumaki!"

Naruto noticed how Sasuke's harsh voice trembled, and he just stupidly gaped, his mind not comprehending what to say.

"It was _fucking_ torture while I watched you turn into a bloody fucking mess because of that fucking transformation, whatever the hell that means! I know it had hurt you, moron, I know that! But it's a different thing when I was fucking watching, _watching! _ I was sitting there, watching you writhe and cry and fucking almost die! And there was nothing I can do but just bloody fucking watch!" Sharingan spinning wildly, Sasuke gripped Naruto's front shirt tighter.

Naruto answered Sasuke's outburst with a soft voice. "But I know what it feels like, Sasuke."

"You clearly don't if you're fucking insisting of doing that damn idiotic _trick!" _Sasuke spat.

Realizing that their discussion is not going to lead into somewhere, Naruto narrowed his eyes and growled deep before pressing himself against Sasuke more. "I _do_ know, Sasuke! I know how it feels to be helpless because that's what I felt my entire life from the villager's scorn to the time I watched you walk away!"

When Sasuke stilled, Naruto immediately regretted mentioning what he just said and immediately pulled Sasuke in his embrace, even if he had to tiptoe for him to be able to wrap the guy's shoulder with his warmth. "If you had wished that you were able to do something while I was experiencing that, then you should know that I wouldn't just sit here and watch you be accused by those fucking liars when I _know_ that I could have done something…" He gently explained.

However, Sasuke still refused to say anything. "Please, Sasuke…" Naruto almost cried. He doesn't like the feeling he always get when Sasuke ignores him. "Please, talk to me. I'd rather do this with your support on my back than having to sneak out…"

Sasuke immediately turned his head to look at Naruto, and though his eyes were no longer blazing with sharingan, his glare still has its effect. "Don't you dare… Don't you dare sneak out, idiot, or I'll castrate you alive."

A gentle smile slowly found its way to Naruto's face, but he couldn't very well stop the shiver that ran through him as he felt cold hands slowly snake around his waist before settling down there and caress his back, nor could he stop the content sigh escape his lips. So he tightened his embrace and moments later, they were just two idiots standing there, holding on each other like lifeline.

"I will still do that." Naruto later on whispered. "I'd do it for you over and over, because I'm not just going to watch."_ While I can still do something… no matter the consequence._

Sasuke's answer was just to squeeze him tighter and hide his face in Naruto's neck.

…

Kiba awkwardly looked around the room all the while sweating profusely. Almost everyone was avoiding each other's eyes, but there are some, like Choji, Neji, Rock Lee, Suigetsu, Juugo and Keisuke, and surprisingly Ino, who had those grins, (smirk in Neji's part). If they had a feeling earlier that something was going on between Naruto and Sasuke, this pretty much concludes it.

It's not like the awkwardness came from concluding the _something_ between the two guys, it's not that weird anyway to hear of it especially in the Shinobi World. It's _how_ they had concluded that was making it awkward.

You see, there they were, eating their dinners all the while talking about the serious stuffs when Naruto left for kitchen. Kiba had automatically looked at Choji and they shared a wicked grin, both wondering when Sasuke would follow, and the guy soon did, much to their surprise. Snickers flew here and there, every once in a while, a _'Told ya so' _was mumbled by someone and a few laughed. That is, until they heard Sasuke yell a cuss.

Everyone was instantly alarmed, but Gaara had told them to leave the two alone as it is not for outsiders to know. They had complied obviously, although hesitantly. No one there forgets that Sasuke was a missing-nin who had tried to kill them all at one point, Naruto at several attempts.

Hushed whispers could be heard at the kitchen, with Sasuke yelling here and there. The words were comprehensible though in Kiba's sensitive ears, especially because of how short the distance from the Dining area to the kitchen was. And it seems that no one around the table forgot it too when all eyes landed on him, silently demanding for him to spill what was being discussed inside.

He didn't have to go through such lengths to detail what he heard anyway when Sasuke, the fucking Uchiha, who probably has no care what the outside world thinks, practically screamed to the whole world what he was feeling during Naruto's _transformation._

Kiba had seen Shikamaru, Neji and Gaara stilled and exchanged glances at that. Even Kakashi had stopped reading his porn. But no one uttered a single word about it.

It was awkward in a sense like how awkward it will feel to see lovers fight in the middle of a public road, and even Kiba feels how right on the mark a lover's quarrel is.

"So…" He had started and different pair of eyes landed on him. "Uh… it's the two of them, huh?"

Ino had given a girly chuckle at that, excited with the idea of two hot guys falling in love with each other, no matter how hot Sasuke was in her eyes when she was younger. "I won't say I didn't see that one coming."

"Huh." Kakashi finally talked. "With the way how Sasuke talks to Naruto and about Naruto alone, a lot of people probably saw it a mile away."

"_Puh_lease!" Suigetsu exclaimed. "Boss would'a flip out at anyone when he 'ears Naruto's name while we're travelin'!"

Keisuke laughed merrily. "So it's not just Naru who was hung up, huh? Man, they were practically holding on each other all these years!"

No one could argue with that and a soft _Hohoho! _even silently echoed out, agreeing to everyone.

Well, except perhaps Sho who still doesn't like Sasuke no matter how _less _he thinks of it now, and Sakura, who did not like what was decided. Not even one bit, because she _knows_ that Sasuke was in love with her. _He had been since we were kids…_

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><p>Okay, so we're very near the serious dramas.<p>

Reviews people. It helps. :)


	22. Chapter 21

****Iris online isn't working right now T^T

I hope they get the servers back and running soon.

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><p><strong>Chapter 21:<strong>

The white sheet lay harmlessly on the floor along with different shirts and broken shards that was once a table lamp. Torn pieces of paper littered like confetti, and if one looks closely, some pieces with colored background can easily be recognized as a part of what was supposed to be photos. In one corner of the room, a lone figure sat against the wall, nimble fingers ripping apart another piece of photo, adding in the mighty collection adorning the floor. One torn part fell, which shows the half of a ramen stand. The other torn part was dropped, showing a boy with shining sunshine hair and smiling blue eyes.

A sigh escaped trembling lips and a soft laugh echoed throughout the room – turning maniacal as seconds ticked by. Hands gripped rosy colored hair while her eyes let hot fat tears freely fall. She continued to laugh until her lungs protested and gave out, dried lips letting out series of violent coughs. Still, a grin like that of a Cheshire remained in place.

She will not have it.

Sasuke is still in love with her.

He had been since they were kids.

And he said before, before when they introduced themselves to Kakashi as a team, that one of his dreams was to resurrect his clan. And since she's the only person he's close to since kids, it should be obvious that he will come to her. Then it hit her, w_hy not confirm it now?_ Was her last thoughts as swirling leaves replaced the corner of that one room.

Clashing of metal resonated throughout the forest which is still undeniably on the lands of the Uchiha, but she knows that he's aware she's here once she stepped foot on his land. Of course he does, he's _her_ Sasuke. He will know where she is, he will feel her presence. Especially because she's his childhood friend - his long time love.

"Sasuke," she called out with a soft voice. Her smile widened when he stopped. She knows he can never deny her once she calls out.

"Sakura," he greeted back, and her spirit soars up high because she never heard him call other woman's name without contempt, but she collected herself lest she makes him think she's an uncouth lady. So she gently said,

"I wanted to talk to you."

The smile faltered when he turned his back to her once more to give way to his target shooting, but she thought he's just being shy, as always, so she smiled again. "How are you?"

He did not answer for a while, but later on, she received his clipped "Hn."

A tug was playing in her heart, questions rising in her mind. She was afraid back then to ask him questions, in fear that he would shy away. But she's much stronger now, a woman he undoubtedly prefers for his clan, so she asked, "Will you be leaving again?"

He paused in his practice, appearing to be in deep thought if his frown was anything to go by.

Her heart thudded in her chest, nervous what kind of answer will she hear from him. She was almost sure he would say yes, that he will leave once everything is finished, that he will leave her again. But then he suddenly said, "I don't know."

So she soars, thinking maybe he realized how important she is in his life, and he cannot bear the thought of living more years without her. Her mouth opened once more, preparing to say words that might push him more to staying, but then he continued, "I'm not sure what Naruto plans yet."

And her bubble snapped. Her dreams shattering in front of her very eyes, but she held on, not ready yet to face reality.

A nervous laugh escaped her lips. "Haha… what… what do you mean…?"

His eyes, expressionless and unmerciful, cold and distant, looked at her. And she thought she'd suffocate. "I _meant _it as I've said it. I don't know what Naruto plans yet." Edgy patience in his voice was so obvious as if he was talking to an annoying six years old kid.

"But!" She almost yelled, good thing she caught herself. "But… what does it got to do with… with Naruto?"

This time, he looked annoyed with his eyes sharp and cold, brows furrowing deep, and she almost couldn't stand that stare being directed to her. Because she knows, she feels that he's on the verge of snapping, barely holding on to that thread of sanity. Of course she knows. Because he's her Sasuke and she's his Sakura. They share an understanding that was made during Genin days, through those times that they were battling together, side by side.

Silence stretched on and she almost could not withstand it, but he surprised her once more by breaking the thick film of quietness. "What do you want?"

The little flicker of hope died a little bit more. What can she say? To her stupidity, she was not even able to think of a plausible excuse before marching here. Well, it's not like she can lie to him anyway. He's too good to be lied to. He doesn't deserve that. And she will not be able to look at him straight on if she gathers a guilty feeling inside. So again, what can she say? The truth?

If she knows Sasuke like she claims to be, he would look at her as if she was spouting the most nonsense thing in the world. She will be humiliated a little. Well, perhaps a lot. But at least she knows that he will appreciate it much better than spouting lies. Because no matter what the whole world says, Sasuke, no matter what kind of bastard he is, does not lie. To her, he's the most honest person she got the pleasure of meeting. He's raged when he's raged. He's confused when he is. Sad part though, is that he doesn't know how to feel happy. But she'll teach her about that. And of course, being an honest person that he is, he does not appreciate trickeries, which is why he was insanely mad when he learned of Itachi's secrets and the council's corruptness.

This leads her to her current predicament. Lies or truth? What is better to be said?

Considering the kind of person he is though, the answer is clear.

"I…" She looked up at him, not realizing she even stared on the ground for who knows how long. Her fingers gripped the hem of her dress, desperately holding herself in case her body might move on its own and bolt apart, away from the most embarrassing thing that she will do for sure. "I don't want you to leave."

Dark brows raised and she felt mocked, but it's fine. _He cannot lay down his pride as an Uchiha. I have to be the one to approach._

"I'm available, Sasuke." He stared blankly. "I can be the one to grant you one of your goals in life."

Obsidian eyes still stared at her with no hint that he even get what she's talking about. So she went to the most direct line that she can think of.

"I can help you repopulate your plan."

Jade eyes defiantly stared back at the young man in front of her, whose face turned even blanker. Inside though, she was in turmoil. She cannot believe she just uttered the most embarrassing thing she could ever do! Shaky breath was inhaled, before releasing it just as shakily before opening her mouth and saying, "Think about it. I'm the only girl you've been around with since childhood."

Sakura could not believe she just said those words without stuttering. It was an accomplishment and she almost grinned had she not remembered who was standing in front of her. "Let's face it Sasuke. You can't stand to be around people you don't know. And though we've been apart these years, I'm still the one you're most familiar with. With your goal of resurrecting your clan, I think I'm the best candidate that you can consider. It's not like you'd even consider Ino – seeing that you didn't even know she existed. It also goes the same to other girls of our batch. But I'm different aren't I? Because we've been teammates. We shared a lot of experience and thi – "

"Why," her ramble was so rudely interrupted, "in the blazing fires of hell would I bloody want to use your fucking uterus?"

"But – "

"Why would I even bother to repopulate my clan when I would not even be living here inside these fucking walls?"

"Your bloodline – "

"Is not something I am so keen to be tainted."

"But I'm strong -!"

Sasuke's eyes snapped red, his scowl furrowing deeper than ever as he snarled, "Why would I even want some other fucking people come close to my fucking dick?"

And that got her to close her mouth with an audible click.

"Hn." He sneered as he casually stood on one foot, arms crossing across his chest. "That's it, isn't it? You fucking want to ride me until you scream and announce to the whole world that you fucking got little _Sasuke-kun_ around your tiny little fingers."

Sakura could feel her face heating up, and she could almost see her perfect little world, with perfect Sasuke and lovely Sakura along with their little rosy headed child, melt. Almost. But she refused to give out. She could hear him laugh wholeheartedly as if something was honestly worth laughing at due to too much stupidity and fucking hilariousness.

"Sakura," he called so she looked back at him and he could see his eyes twinkling with honest mirth. "You won't be able to get it up and working."

A breath was hitched in her throat and stayed there inside her lungs, twisting a knife around as painful as it could. Burning at the edges of her eyes alarmed her as tears almost fell. She was screaming inside.

Thinking _why, _asking _why_, when she's the only one beside him since long ago? What's not good about her? She can punch a crater on the Earth, she can cure the most poisonous poison in the world. Her beauty matched no one, as what people had often told her. Intelligence follows closely, running around the upper levels. What is he not satisfied? "What is wrong with me?" She mumbled to herself, but he heard it anyway.

He looked at her straight on, laughter in his eyes disappearing in an instant. And she saw, in front of her, not the Avenger, not the heir of the Uchiha, but just Sasuke. The friend that she lost a long time ago. "Do you want to know the truth?"

She gasped and shook her head no.

No.

No, no!

She didn't want to hear. She didn't want him to say anything because she has a feeling that she _knows_ what he's about to say. And she's not ready yet to look at the truth glaring her hard in the face. "No. _No. _Stop. Don't say anything. I don't want to hear it."

"You have to know Sakura. You deserve it."

"No! No, no, no, _no!_" She let the word roll off her lips like a mantra. What's with him anyway? He'd never been considerate before! Why would he choose to say something _devastating _now? She could take it if he says anything out of spite. But she won't be able to take it if he says it in all seriousness! "Stop! Don't say anything! I _beg _of you! _Please!_" She all but screamed, desperately trying to drown whatever words he might let go any time now, tears streaming down her face like broken fucking faucet.

"Sakura, I owe the truth to you. You're one of the special friends that Naru – "

"Don't you _dare_ say that _name!" _She screeched, turning to face him with all the hatred in her scowling, wet face. "Don't say that _fucking_ name!"

She realized at the back of her mind that she just blew her only chance with him. Quite literally at that. And one traitorous part of her mind just whispered that she herself knows what he's about to say – and she knows that she cannot come to wish to stand a chance with that. That traitorous part of her even noticed how Sasuke's face steeled. But she didn't care. _God, _she didn't care. She's too upset to notice, too broken to play the good girl.

"What's so fucking good about him, huh?" She whispered, and volume was not needed to decorate her hiss with sharp and scathing blades. "He's a fucking _guy! _He cannot give you what I offer, Sasuke. Can't you see that?"

"You don't know what you're saying."

"The hell I don't!" She gestured with her hand. "Here I am, offering you the life that you wished to attain since so long, and you're _declining?_ Because of what, of _him_?" She mentally flinched, realizing too late that Sasuke hasn't even mentioned something about choosing Naruto over her.

She took deep, even breaths to calm her nerves as she willed her waterworks to fucking stop. Jade eyes looked at his and she softly asked with trembling voice, "What's so good about him?"

He didn't flinch. He didn't even bat an eyelash while she was screaming her voice out. And he definitely did not waver when he answered with a strong and confident voice, "Everything."

And just like that, her magical world completely dissolved into nothingness, leaving her with nothing but bitter truth slapping her hard across the face and the sight of the back of his long lost first love retreating away from her. Leaving her with nothing but a fairytale starting with _'Once upon a time, there was a brave raven haired boy and a lovely rosy head princess…' _and ending with not even a _'happily ever after'._

…

Sakura would have smacked her head with chakra filled fist. Among the people that she could have gone to cry her eyes out, she went here to the reason she was breaking in the first place. Why hadn't she gone to Ino instead of Naruto? Even she doesn't have an inkling of idea. Well, maybe she does. Maybe a little part of her wanted to split the pain she's suffering and inflict it on the blonde boy standing across from her, looking thoroughly surprised at her sudden visit.

"Sakura?"

She mentally noted that he does not call her 'Sakura-chan' anymore. He hasn't called her that for so long, even right before he was banished outside the village, and she vaguely wondered why. Though she suspects Sasuke has something to do with it.

"What's wrong? Come on in, you'll get a cold standing outside." He made to usher her inside with such gentleness that Sakura couldn't stop her tears from falling fast. She noticed his eyes widened dramatically and she could feel his hesitancy on what to do.

"I talked to Sasuke."

The black haired boy's name was like a magic that got Naruto stilling in an instant and she almost chuckled in bitterness.

"I offered him myself. To be his wife and repopulate his clan."

She saw him tense and she felt a little bit better.

"He refused though. Do you know why?"

Naruto remained unmoving; eyes staring wide like someone caught him stealing in the act.

Sakura did not wait for him to answer. She chuckled and sneered, "Because you, 'best friend', just snatched him away from me."

_Ah, he's confused. _She couldn't help but think when she noticed the ever slight frown of his brows. She would never give him the answers though. To avoid him getting a whiff of what Sasuke might feel, she deliberately changed her approach. "You're in love with him, aren't you?" She whispered it oh so softly that she almost thought he didn't hear her if Naruto didn't give an involuntary step back like someone pushed him. "Naruto…" She called out and put on the big sister voice, "That's just sick…"

He shook his head, his mouth hanging open.

"He's your best friend and you betray him by daring to feel something like _that?" _She stepped closer, feeling herself strengthens with every tremble that the blonde gives off, though her eyes were puffy and red with little track of silver flowing down. "You're betraying him… like you betrayed me? How _dare _you…?"

"I didn't…"

"But you did, didn't you?" She grimaced. "I asked you to bring him back to _me, _but you went ahead of yourself and fell for him, didn't you?"

"I _never_ went to run after him because of you."

"Hah… and what, you went to him because you _love_ him?" She shook her head when he did not answer, his silence being an answer enough. "You disgusting little creep…! How could you even think that you're allowed to be near him? Naruto, you're a _guy! _But if you're gonna be a fucking _fag, _please, _please _don't drag Sasuke-kun with you… I beg of you, let some semblance of shame seep in your fucking bones! You can't make him happy. And you know it."

To her surprise, Naruto, the lovely idiot who was always trailing behind her, snapped at her with obvious mix of swirling defiance, hurt, and despair. "Shut up!" She gasped and stepped back as waves of pure unadulterated emotions washed her when his eyes locked her down with one straight gaze. "Shut the fuck _up! _You have no right to tell me what is right or wrong or disgusting!" A lone tear rolled down and Sakura felt her heart squeeze.

"Don't you fucking _dare_ tell me where I stand because I already fucking _know!" _Naruto snarled and she held her stand, faintly remembering how much the guy can be a monster when enraged. "I've _loved_ him! I've loved him long before I fucking knew what_ like_ is. I've loved him long, _long _before I even knew what happiness is! I still fucking love him. After all these fucking _years! _But that's just it." He paused, not even realizing that he had already screamed at her face, before starting off with a gentler tone, though as heartbreaking as before. "You don't think I know it's wrong? You don't think I know I've got to be the stupidest fucking being in the world for feeling like this? Well, newsflash Sakura, I _know _it even without you telling me. It's impossible, I _know_! I know it so why don't you? What's got your soul writhing back and forth because of this fucking little _creep_ when you should have known I've got no chances of being with him in the first place? _I can't be with him! _For so many reasons than just your simple fucking logic!_"_

By the time he finished, Naruto was panting, eyes red because of tears and shoulders slumped forward in defeat.

He raised his hand to cover half his face as he sighed and silently mourned, salty tears never breaking their assault. "I know my place, Sakura… surprisingly enough, I'm not as dumb as people think. I love him. I've loved him almost my whole life, but that's it."

He stepped back, having realized how close they were, and smiled at her a smile full of bitterness, sorrow, pain and longing - the very image of heartbreak that Sakura's mind can think of. "So you said you offered yourself to him?" A hollow chuckle escaped his throat that went straight to Sakura's heart. "Well, good luck with that." He gave her a mocking bow before disappearing into nothingness.

Sakura stood there, eyes never leaving where Naruto had been even after a few minutes. She gripped her chest and silently cried because of broken heart. Whether because of Sasuke's rejection or Naruto's despair, she wasn't so sure anymore.

…

The moonlight washed the whole place, giving an ethereal glow to what was supposed to be a very normal hotel room. Clothes scattered on the floor. Paintbrush left littered everywhere, along with pieces of papers with different sketches. A musky scent combined with sweat flows through the air.

"Ah…" A delightful sigh echoed silently, followed by a soft creak.

Silver rays of moon outlined two bodies dancing the ancient music of lust, creating an incomprehensible beauty to what was supposed to be a dirty activity. "Uh!" Another groan echoed, though the creaking never once ceased, following a rhythm that got the red head lady curling in pleasure.

"Sa-hah.. Sai…!" Feng muttered against the dark, long fingers tangling itself along inky black strands hovering above her as she swayed her hips in every beat. Large hands firmly stuck to her naked hips, while sinful mouth latched on to one of her pink hardened nub, sucking continuously. "Faster…! More!"

The boy did not need any more encouragement as he wildly thrusts inside her, a slick sound echoing every time in accordance to every slap. "Ah! Ah! Ahh! Hah… Unn…!" Was her incorrigible answer while her partner just silently groaned and huffed.

She wrapped her legs around his thrusting hips, meeting him upward every time he goes down, just as hard as he does. "So… so good. Ah! _Good…_ Do you feel… good?"

The boy moved from her nipple to the junction of her neck and bit hard. "Hah… yes. Good…_!_" He mumbled, trying so hard to think while drowning in pleasure. "So… slippery. And hot…"

He angled his hips more until he felt a bundle against the top of his cock and Feng suddenly arched back, legs and arms tightening their hold to her anchor as the head of his member suddenly abused her favorite spot. She can't even remember how long they had been doing this act anymore since their first time. She can't even count how many times he made her come. Even her name was foggy inside her mind that she was starting to lose her memory on what is what anymore. Just one thing remained in the haze of her mind, _feels so fucking good._

They kept at it a little bit more, the next thrust harder than the last until she literally trembled with a loud scream while she felt hot eruption inside her.

In the midst of their climax, Feng's sanity suddenly woke up when he heard her partner utter a word she could never believe she will hear while in the throes of passion. It was a word that put on a bitter smile on her face while her partner thrusts in a bit more, riding his orgasm and milking himself further. It was a quiet groan with a mumble of, _"Sakura."_

Feng almost laughed.

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><p>I thank those who are giving me such lovely reviews (^ ^,)<p>

Please don't forget to write again as inspiration comes from that.


	23. Chapter 22

Hey guys, thank you so much for the wonderful reviews. :)

Before we proceed though, I just want you guys to please keep in mind that this is a Fanfiction, something that I - who does not own Naruto - wrote on my own imaginations. This is an answer to a review stating things about why some things are outside the Story of the Real Naruto. And I would also like to think that there are things, things which some of you may have expected, but I didn't write because of my very own reasons.

The characters would act different from original, which is why this is a Naruto x Sasuke tandem in the first place, and situations will twist and bend. Mainly because I don't own Naruto.

This story is not _that _much based on the Manga or Anime - I just took the characters, the original settings, and then added some (or maybe much?) and twisted everything on my own. Haha.

Should I write an original story (or as original as it can be for a NaruSasu Fanfiction), it will be something totally different altogether.

I'm not offended or something dramatic like that. LOL, I'm not even a professional writer and I don't get a pay in this to be majorly pissed! xD . (I say this because I do get offended when it comes to my own Profession in real life. Haha, bad employee?) Though I would probably not elaborate too much should there be some more like this in the future, because, well, I won't be able to woo everyone, haha. I just want you guys to be reminded that, by the end of the day, what I'm writing will probably be far off from the real story, and will probably be a different one to what another writer would come up with. ^_^

Actually, I shouldn't be explaining all of this to you guys. Because I know there are some of you, (majority maybe? I hope! LOL), who understands because, well, you're still reading up to this chapter right? (And I hope until the end too! xD)

I'm a fan who writes my very own fantasies. And my fantasies majorly consists of Naruto and Sasuke! (...and I turn into goo just thinking about it...)

I hope you guys won't be too disappointed. :)

* * *

><p>Okaaaay, for those guys out there wishing for Sakura to just grow up, this chapter is about her being an adult. xD<p>

If you know what I mean, hahaha!

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><p><strong>Chapter 22:<strong>

Sai could feel the sweat rolling off his nape as he stared ahead.

There he was, enjoying the feel of freshness as he went home and took a shower right after he separated with Feng for last night's rendezvous, all the while thinking of the situation he got himself into. He was thinking when his relationship with Feng developed and how it came to this, if one can even call it a relationship when they would only have sex when they see each other in private. The only thing he can remember now while they were at the cabin in Fangs is for the two of them to sneak into the bathroom in the middle of the night, when all people had already went to a deep sleep, to quickly and silently fuck. If no one was in the house though, for an excursion in the village, Sai will go back the cabin, knowing that Feng will be the only one there and then they will have sex in the kitchen, or in the living room, along the hallways, until they get the feeling that the group will be coming back; extra cautious to cleaning the mess that they might leave behind.

Everything halted when Sai had to go back in advanced along with his original team, and he honestly thought that he will have to go to the brothel to satisfy his ever growing addiction even if he really doesn't want to do it to unknown women. Nobody can say who's enemy and who's not after all.

Now though, as soon as they saw each other when Naruto's group entered Konoha, the first thing the two of them did was rent a room and dance the never fading tune.

He knows though that he isn't the only one that the red-head lady goes to. And it's not like he cares either. He is getting confused though as to why Feng lets him screw her when they're not even a couple, though he wouldn't really complain.

He thought all about it as he showered, all the while healing himself with what little bit of healing ability that he learned, getting rid of red marks across his chest, scratch marks on his back and hips. He must have been too caught up in his train of thoughts that he never noticed the chakra signature that was already standing in the middle of his bedroom.

Which is why he was here, feeling the cold bullets of sweat rolling down his nape as he stared ahead – at the lovely girl in the midst of his room.

"Sakura." He blankly greeted, not really sure how to acknowledge her when he was surprised himself.

And then, in one full sweep, he was suddenly pressed against the wall, his bones digging uncomfortably on the flat surface while one of his hands desperately clutched on the towel that was the only thing separating his manliness from the world.

His mind blanked in a matter of milliseconds, and having his libido still not fully satisfied, he pushed the rosy head against the opposite wall and ravaged her mouth while she answered just as enthused.

Sai really had no idea what was happening. He kisses Feng all the time, but all he ever felt was the warmth spreading throughout his body, the tremble coursing like electricity, and the bomb waiting to explode confined within his pants.

When Sakura kissed him though with such vigor and enthusiasm that her fingers tangled through his hair, he felt all of what he would feel with Feng, though twice as much and with extra squeezing of chest as if someone just stabbed him in his heart.

It was all too much. He felit like a candle suddenly thrown in a blazing pit of fire that he would melt in an instand or explode. He felt so suffocated and restricted and full and he didn't know what to do.

When he opened his eyes though, he was already standing on the farthest corner from the girl, trying his damnest to merge with the fucking wall. He didn't know if Sakura pushed him, though he doubted it seeing as she was still standing there in that corner, dazed as if it hasn't registered in her mind that the one she's kissing had already left her. Which could only mean that he jerked away from her on his own volition. It must have been his instinct trying not to explode due to overload of fucking _something _that he could not even imagine to name.

He gasped and wheezed, using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth before he growled out in pure defense, "What the _fuck_ are you doing here?"

She stood there, stunned, though Sai can never mistake the silver glittery trail on her cheeks or nothing but tears. Long moments of silence passed and he almost could feel his shoulders being pulled down by the earth, until she opened her mouth and choked out a pathetic "Sai…"

He immediately tensed, instinct telling him that the tone she used was never good no matter where he heard it.

She took a deep breath before shakily smiling and saying, "Please kill me…"

Sai suddenly felt like a convulsing delirious man experiencing an over forty degrees of fever that was suddenly thrown off to a negative degree of water, left alone to die. He could feel his hair standing to its ends and he literally heard _silence._ "What?" He whispered, almost afraid to break the trance that he got into.

That one word broke the girl it seemed, as she suddenly looked up with dead empty eyes before shedding off all of her clothes and pooling them at her feet, making the boy gasp, pressing himself farther to that corner that he was invading.

"Kill me, Sai." She brokenly whispered. "Hurt me. Touch me. Please… let me _feel pain._"

Sai's shell-shocked face suddenly morphed into disbelief. _"What?!"_

Sakura laughed without cheer. "Oh please. You don't think I know of your nightly adventure with Feng while we were in the Cabins?"

The boy never wanted to be one with the wall as he felt the knife that was drove down earlier to his chest twist some more.

"I know." She continued. "I heard you. I saw it. It was an accident though. I woke up one night wanting to drink when I stumbled upon you."

Sai was rigid. He wanted to deny what she was saying, he wanted to shake his head in denial and scream at her and demanding her why she dares to lie in his face. But he couldn't. He was too stunned to move, too emotionally incapable to know what a person must do in situations such as these.

"There's no difference if we do it, right? So, Sai… Touch me." She whispered and he caught sight of tears freely flowing down her cheek, tormenting him even more as she sobbed. "Make me forget, _please_."

And he saw red, having understood where she was coming from. Mentally asking why the _fuck _did she go to _'that guy' _again when she fucking knows that_ he's_ got Naruto in his eyes since forever. One second later, he was on to her, kissing, groping, feeling, _grinding… _The towel was dropped as she jumped and she wrapped her legs around his torso as he carried them both towards the bed. They bit, they scratched until skin bled, but they continued to clash like wild animals in heat. All reasons flowing out the window.

He heard the distinct creak of the bed, though he was not sure if they really were properly on top of it. Fingers clutched at his hair and he reached down in between her legs to feel the moist, to tease, to slide. And she gasped, and he could feel his remaining self control slipping.

She sucked until his shoulder breaks, she licks until the blood is wiped away, she feels him with the palm of her hands, all the while her tears are freely flowing down.

And he _growled_ at those tears. He didn't care anymore so he entered her without notice and she cried out. She cried out with such agony and pain that got him barely holding on to his mind and will his body not to move. He could feel the tightness, the wetness, the sticky substance rolling down their hips as he absently noticed her blood flowing out, and he prayed; he prayed to have enough will and self control that could make him last and not to move until she's ready because he doesn't want to hurt her.

But she moved. Oh, god, she moved. She swayed her hips against his and he felt the friction, the delicious friction as his member was being pleasantly _squeezed _and he forgot the prayer.

He thrusts, in and out, faster by the minute, as his mouth never stopped caressing her creamy skin. And she screamed, faster, harder, _more, _and she moved her hips back and forth to meet his every thrust so he did just what she was asking for.

In the midst of his lust filled mind, he thought of why he never felt this burning, this tightening of his chest, this explosive feeling that he was containing when he would do just the same with Feng.

…

There was, on the other hand, another boy who was screaming, howling in despair and raw pain that was scratching at the very depths of his dark heart.

It's not that Naruto never knew what Sakura had accused him of. It's not that he had never heard all of those _'you will never be deserving of him' _line, or the _'you've got to be fucking kidding me' _lines. He had heard those from Karin before, and fuck, he had even told himself those lines, and other different dialogues that only his demented mind could conjure whenever he feels that he's about to step out of the line, whenever he's about to do something he's _forbidden _to do.

He reminds himself of those things whenever he feels the tip of his hands twitch, a signal that he's about to reach out and caress pale cheeks, tuck away black strands, or reach out to deft fingers. He reminds himself, _It can never be!_

The very first time that his mind caught up with his heart and realized what that brainless idiot of a heart was feeling, he immediately understood that there will never be an outcome for this craziness. He immediately understood that those intense feelings and explosive emotions _must _be contained. That is to say, he had known all of those facts that these girls would like to rub in his face the very first day he _knew _what he felt. He was about ten or twelve then! And now, with his _situation _with Kyuubi, more _valid _reasons had presented itself to him, solidifying that thought some more.

He had been preparing himself for almost, what, eight, ten years? – Especially for the last year. He had been preparing himself of rejection, conditioning himself that a time will surely come that he will be cast aside and thrown away because it's just inevitable. It was as inevitable as him being branded like some sort of dirty monster constantly hovering above Konoha, threatening the peace and lives of millions. It was as inevitable of the seal being broken. The rejection – of Sasuke – is really just… inevitable. There was no helping it. No choices presented to him.

And he understands. Naruto understands but it doesn't mean that he doesn't feel as if a fucking blunt kunai had been driven in his heart only to be twisted _ever so slowly._

It hurts, and, _oh God, it hurts. _It had hurt him when he realized about it the truth. Hurts so much that he wanted to just leave and perhaps never be seen again. And maybe even bump his head so hard that he would forget everything! He felt like a three year old child who just wanted to collapse and roll on the floor and hug himself tighter in a desperate attempt to shield himself from pain – _raw pain. _Because fuck, he _loves _Sasuke.

He loves Sasuke so much that he could just lay his life away for him. He's an idiot who loves the bastard so much that he would even stick to his own fake persona just to hear him call him 'dobe'. An idiot who just had the unfortunate fate of being stuck for a bastard – idiotic enough that he would waste away six years of his life just to have him there with him, in Konoha, again. Even after the bastard himself _threw_ everything away.

If he's free and he was not the host of Kyuubi and maybe if he was a girl, he'd soar up in triumph against anyone when it came to measuring up his love for Sasuke. Because in his idiotic heart's very own mind, his love is immeasurable.

But the truth is constant and unchanging. It breaks and it burns. One word of truth collapses a well made dream. It's like a plague that kills a man and devours a village. It can't be stopped. It can't be changed. No matter how much he screams and tear his heart out, a truth will always be The Fucking _Truth _that he will just have to live with...

The truth is, there can never be a Sasuke and Naruto. For various of reasons.

He sobbed and choked and wished he can cry no more because, _what's the use? _No matter how much he cries and _weep, _there can never be a chance. No matter how much Kyuubi whispers in his head that he might be wrong, his ears have become deaf and his heart had refused to be touched anymore.

All that was left of him was leave and watch from afar. Watch Sasuke fight alone, watch him bleed and emerge a victor. Naruto will just have to suck it up and watch his best friend, his _loved _best friend, to finally finish what he started and pursue his long time dream of having a family. A loving family. He will just have to silently cry and die some more as he watches his best friend put his arms around slim waist of a wife while the other hand grasp at the thin wrists of a child.

That's all that is left for Naruto to do.

Just silently cry and maybe wither along the unmerciful hand of Time. Because he can never be selfish. No, not for Sasuke.

But right now, _right now, _he has Sasuke looking directly at him. Sasuke is pouring out his attention to him. _Right now, _while Sasuke is still young and curious and free, Naruto is the one in his eyes. His only equal – the only one who can stand beside him in equal grounds. Right now, now that Naruto still has _time, _he can pretend that Sasuke is his. He can pretend that there is something more in those touches, those hugs and those whispers when all there really is, is the mercy of curiosity and familiarity.

Right now, now that Naruto can still stay, he can pretend. He can smile that fake smile of his and think that maybe Sasuke loves him too. Even if it's a lie, who cares? No one knows what's in his mind anyway. And before anyone knows it, _he'd be long gone…_

….

When Naruto arrived home that night, Sasuke immediately noticed the red and puffy eyes.

He couldn't ask, of course, what the hell happened. He figured Naruto will tell him once he's ready. So that night, when they lay down the bed together, Sasuke silently rubbed Naruto's back and spooned him in, as close as he could possibly dare and just listened to the other's beating heart. Silently hoping that Naruto can _feel _him and realize that he's there, ready to be the anchor through the harsh bashing of reality.

Sasuke could feel the tense muscles stiffening more in his touches, and he frowned, his heart thundering inside his chest, wishing that the dreadful feeling in his gut is telling him wrong. Because he just has a feeling that something is going to change – and the barely noticeable flinches whenever he rubs Naruto's back just promises a very bad change.

But he tried to force the flinches down. Forced the stiffness with his gentleness and patience and care even if his ancestors in the grave curse him because _No fucking Uchiha is soft!_ They can suck a dead man's dick for all he cares because there's just no way that he's letting Naruto go after all of what happened. _No way._

And he clutched the other a little bit tighter against his chest, praying that the tension leaves because _he won't have it, _he won't lose the guy.

A few moments later, Sasuke steeled himself and admittedly gave a sigh of relief when Naruto relaxed and finally, _finally _hugged him back.

….

The next morning, Sasuke thought he'd wake up feeling safe and ready to woo his blonde again. Everything went crashing down the fucking drain when he saw those blue eyes though, because they were shining with fake mirth and were shadowed by walls of defenses.

He frowned and cursed and he could always feel a hitch coming in his throat whenever those eyes would land on his. Because _why the fuck is Naruto looking at him like that? _It was as if the past months that they had spent with together, the past months that they had been fucking _cuddling_ – for Naruto, he would allow the cursed word linger in his head – were all blown like a candle on top of fucking birthday cake.

Sasuke cursed some more. He cursed because the sinking feeling that he got yesterday which he thought he lost last night now came back full force and has returned tenfold.

He has a feeling that he's losing the blonde. He felt as if his months staying in that cabin in Fangs are slipping past his fingers as fast as a Sand Glass. And his chest thundered again.

_What in the world happened?_

He has to know what happened. He has to figure out what the _fuck _went yesterday because he would never, _never _accept losing the only person that had mattered to him his entire twisted life. He would never accept losing the only person that he _loves._

Everyone assumes he's a bastard and they aren't wrong. He knows it too. He's a bastard and he's selfish so he won't accept Naruto slipping out of his arms.

But he waited.

He's Uchiha _fucking _Sasuke and he's a bastard as everyone knows it, but he waited for Naruto to come to terms with his problem and maybe share the burden to him. Because Sasuke is not kidding when he says that he loves the idiot, the dobe, the usuratonkachi, the dead last, the most colorful ninja. He will make sure someone has a bloody nose if someone ever dare insinuate otherwise.

And three days passed. Three days had passed since the very obvious change happened and Sasuke could tell he would die anytime out of madness and he's not even in the right mind to think people will probably think him weak.

Naruto had stopped touching him. Naruto had stopped looking at him in awe and adoration. Naruto had stopped whispering his name in tenderness and… _fuck. _He clutched at his chest and heaved, cursing Suigetsu in his mind who dared make fun of him breaking down but couldn't ever voice it out because it's true – he could feel his heart slowly eroding.

Then Naruto suddenly called out to him and Sasuke would have hopped in joy like a fucking five year old and he wouldn't care.

"Hey, Teme," Naruto called out one night when they were staring out the window of _their _bedroom. He called out while his eyes never left the old tree at the Uchiha backyard. Sasuke would have gasped and answered, _Yes Naruto? What is it Naruto? Do you need something Naruto? _All in such fucking eagerness like a fucking kid in sugar high if his body was not trained and programmed to be still and emotionless.

Blue eyes looked at him, _really looked at him, _and Sasuke tensed because he could suddenly see the vulnerability, longing and sadness, and emotions he could not name in just that one glance. He wanted to run and embrace the blonde and cry and thank the gods because he can see something in those eyes again and all are open for him to see! He wanted to run and squeeze him tight and scream in joy and kiss him and kiss him and _kiss him some more _and tell him what he's really feeling -

"We're best friends right?" Naruto suddenly asked and all of Sasuke's gear halted in an echoing _Fuck._

Best friends.

Best friends?

_The fuck we are! _What kind of bloody best friend scoops each other at night? What kind of bloody _best friend _– guy best friends at that – kisses each other on their foreheads? Just… _what the fuck?_

NO! Sasuke wanted to scream, _fuck no! _He doesn't want to be just best friends. He wants more. He wants to be closer, close enough that will freely let him explore those eyes, touch that warm heart, kiss those lips, wipe those tears and embrace that trembling shoulders at night.

No. He can never settle being _just _best friends.

He willed his mind to reel and get going and _think _of how to answer and maybe confess to him now.

Before he could say anything though, he saw Naruto see all of the hesitations and conflict going on inside his head before smiling.

And Sasuke wanted to punch himself right then and there.

Because that smile, that stupid, _stupid _smile, was not a smile of happiness. It was a smile full of rue and bitterness and understanding and acceptance and Sasuke just _knew_ Naruto misunderstood.

Again, before he could have said anything – and this time he really wanted to kill himself and then maybe thwack Naruto in the head because _come on! – _before he could say anything, correct the misunderstanding and make the world go fucking round, the vulnerability was gone.

The sadness was gone.

The openness was gone.

Walls were up. Defenses were built with an echoing clank of chains.

And everything was lost. All of those months they spent together nurturing what was budding between them were lost without even a trace of wispy smoke. All because it took him one minute too late to open his fucking mouth and answer one stupid question.

Naruto smiled that smile that Sasuke decided he hated in all of the worlds as the blonde idiot whispered, "I see…"

He never felt such heavy self-loathing until then.

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><p>Lol, all the freakin' drama xD<p> 


	24. Chapter 23

hey guys! sorry for the late update. it really is difficult to pick up when i have other projects in agenda. sometimes the ideas for the stories mix! xD anyway, here goes.

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><p><strong>Chapter 23:<strong>

Morning came and Kiba thought nothing could dampen his good mood. Especially since Hinata had greeted him with a smile on his way to the Uchiha compound. So he didn't hesitate to let the world know that everything was turning perfect with his whistling and extra spring on his steps. Even Akamaru shared his happiness.

He really thought it so. That is, until he stepped inside the Uchiha forest towards the underground entrance that they were using. He stopped dead in his tracks after feeling the concentrated darkness oozing from the inside.

_Huh. What do you expect from a place where a whole clan was murdered?_

He took deep, even breaths, made sure no one spotted him before bravely entering.

Walking down that underground aisle was never a likeable adventure for Kiba, and he could tell Akamaru agreed so with the way the dog hid his tail between his legs and his ears flattened over his head. He could understand the poor dog though, when the blazing fires adorning the moss covered walls were like burning eyes glaring at them. All throughout the walk, no one would dare deny the feeling of being watched. It also didn't help that the passageway seemed so long and never-ending, looking awfully a lot like the illuminated way one would try to run and be out off inside their nightmares.

In his mind, he never stopped grumbling and complaining why they even vouched for this place as their hideout in the first place, though his wise but tiny part of the mind reasoned that it _was _logical. Who would ever think of this graveyard of a mansion to be where they were? Everyone knew they give a flying fuck to the Uchiha to even visit this place.

When the first faint rays of light greeted Kiba's eyes, he let out a relieved sigh that he would later on deny of ever doing. He sped up, knowing that what lies on the other side of the door was the Dining Area, the door being one of the cupboards.

However, the first thing that he saw was red, puffy eyes that shocked him silly to the point of being frozen.

"Oh, hi Dog-breath." Naruto greeted him with a flat tone and a pathetic smile.

He raised a brow and looked around, seeing next the deep bags under the glaring eyes of one Uchiha. Kiba raised another brow and found Shikamaru's nonchalant figure hunched over the table, sitting carelessly and examining two scrolls. "Uh…" An unrecognizable sound escaped his mouth and Shikamaru looked up. Without him ever asking anything, Shikamaru already answered with a light shrug before turning back to his work.

Two brown brows went down in a frown before Kiba stalked over and sat beside the shadow manipulator. "The others?"

"Out. It's only us here." Shikamaru answered without looking up from the scroll that he was looking at.

Kiba shrugged, not really that interested about the whereabouts of the others, knowing that Naruto's group was always free to roam about the village, seeing as none of them were missing nins. Sasuke's group mates were probably out too using Naruto's very own Henge. What he was currently interested now, was why Naruto got puffy red eyes and gloomy aura. He opened his mouth to start questioning.

"Don't ask me." The lazy nin immediately stated, not waiting for the question he knew was to come.

"Jerk."

Kiba looked up to Sasuke who was stirring his coffee non-stop while glaring at said black substance. Kiba figured he wouldn't get an answer out of that grouch so he looked at the other one whose Blue Eyes was staring ahead towards nothingness.

_Better him than the other. _"So," he started, "the fuck happened?"

Naruto visibly tensed and was successfully out of his trance at once, but he refused to look at anywhere and just smiled that pretty pathetic smile. "Nothing much." Kiba's eyes rolled. "I think I'd get inside and sleep first. I'm teeny weeny li'l bit tired."

"Uh-huh." All eyes watched as Naruto dazedly walked out of the kitchen.

Silence ensued soon after, with everyone's eyes still locked to the general direction of where Naruto went to even after he was no longer there. That was, until one silent "Fuck" echoed.

Kiba blatantly stared at Sasuke, and so did Shikamaru. They stared as Sasuke's glare intensified to the point that Kiba wouldn't be surprised the coffee would evaporate just to escape his eyes. Everyone who knew Kiba would know that he was never one for patience though, and what he wanted, he get to straight on.

"I'd say you two fucked last night and got ridiculously tired but I won't believe myself seeing as both of you has that hovering gloomy cloud over your heads. But if you two _did _fuck, I mean, why would you be depressed? Unless of course you couldn't get your dick up and work-"

Spinning red eyes glared at him and Kiba's mouth closed with an audible click.

Shikamaru sighed. "Kiba, couldn't you be any more vulgar than that?"

"Huh," The guy huffed. "That's my nicest way of putting things. What happened in the past days I wasn't here anyway?"

"None of your business," Sasuke snapped.

"Oh come on! Why wouldn't it be _my _business when I know I'd also be affected? Our only sunshine here is depressed and is looking at something no one can see! And, no offence but I'd rather have his idiotic smile than endure the creepy aura enveloping the whole compound. If you're not willing to tell me what happened, it's fine with me though. I'd just settle with my initial hunch that you two tried to hump but your dick couldn't do a standing ovation and work proper-"

"I screwed," Sasuke cut the babbling idiot off and glared. "Not in the way you're fucking putting it though."

"Then tell me." Kiba leaned on his chair and crossed his arms behind his head. "I want to get blondie blinding us all with his smile again."

If it was any other day, Sasuke would have glared, slid off his Kusanagi out of its sheath and sliced the dog-boy into smithereens with his mangekyou as an additional bonus. If it was any other day, Sasuke would have slashed and killed and go with a wild rampage, hissing to anyone not to butt in his business. Too bad it wasn't any other day though. As it was, Sasuke didn't have the strength to argue much less fight in a combat. So he just massaged the bridge of his nose, something that he no doubt got from his brother.

"He was just asking something about us being best of friends and I couldn't answer."

Kiba stared, intent on listening to the elaboration but Sasuke didn't say anything more. "That's it?"

Sasuke sighed. "Yes, Inuzuka, that's it."

"I really am sorry and I beg your pardon as I really don't get to understand what is so wrong with you not answering," Kiba deadpanned. "I mean, you talk _rarely._"

"That's not it Kiba," Shikamaru finally chimed in. "Naruto wanted a confirmation of their relationship and Sasuke wasn't able to give him the answer that he wanted to hear. And you know how Naruto feels about their so called bond."

Kiba straightened up, understanding the intensity of the situation. "Oh fuck. You're right Sasuke, you screwed. Big time."

"Like I don't know that," Sasuke glared.

"Why didn't you give him an answer anyway? Seeing you the past few days, I could have sworn in my life that you care for Naruto. And not just in friendly way."

Sasuke did not answer to that. There was no need to correct the guy when what he said was the truth. Besides, it was his and Naruto's affair. He will have to sort it out himself if he still wanted to regain that _something _that he lost. He knew what he has to do though, and that's to make everything clear with Naruto, confession drama and all. The problem was, even if people call him a genius all the fucking time, he didn't have the inkling idea whether Naruto would be happy to be confessed with. The idiot might have been touchy-feely precisely because he thinks they're best friends. And he being the emotionally warped idiot that he was could have not known that not all best friends snuggle with each other.

"You just have to confess to him, Sasuke," Shikamaru suddenly broke the silent reverie. "I heard you both that night – don't glare at me, it was an accident. I was here all night. The point is, both of you have your wrongs. He didn't listen to you and you didn't know how to explain in the first place. Well, I do understand why you didn't know what to say."

"Of course I wouldn't know what to say," Sasuke admitted that got Kiba, who was in the midst of his drink, choking in his coffee by the shock of Sasuke's admission. Sasuke the almighty Uchiha just admitted that he didn't know what to say – admitted! "He asked if I was his best friend!"

"Which you technically are."

"But I don't want that!" He snapped.

Shikamaru sighed and gently placed down the scroll that he was reading. "Then tell him. For fuck's sake, it's either make it or break it Sasuke. If he feels the same way you do, then good. Rut all day you want. Oh please, don't stare at me. I'm a guy too and I would have known what you're feeling but it's too troublesome to feel that way." Kiba gave a lopsided grin at that. "If Naruto doesn't feel the same to you though, well, tough luck. He won't Rasengan your ass, _that _I'm sure of. You're much too important for him to kill. He might not talk to you for a few days but that's it."

"And he can call you a Fag when he's pissed." Kiba added which Sasuke glared at, not liking what he had just said.

"Point is," Shikamaru continued, "You won't get to anywhere by doing nothing."

Sasuke didn't like it when people butt into his business during normal days. In fact, he didn't like it when people talk to him at all about his issues in any normal days. However, the past few days really were far from normal. So he just massaged the bridge of his nose again and shut his eyes tight, willing his headache away before giving a pretty deep sigh.

"Naruto, you're being stupid." A soft yet stern voice echoed behind Naruto, but the blonde only casted a sideway glance at the transparent and glowing human figure of Kyuubi floating right behind him, her robes fluttering weightlessly. After that, his hand materialized a kunai before shooting it towards his practice target.

He repeated the same cycle again and again, _swish – thwack! Swish-thwack! _ The darkness of the night not really an issue for his had been doing the very same robotic movements the whole day, and Kyuubi was starting to lose patience. "NARUTO!"

Naruto started and jumped, swirling so fast his neck would have broken if he was anyone but Naruto. Wide blue eyes stared in shock and his hand flew to his hammering heart. "Kyuubi! You scared me!"

Kyuubi stared at the boy and her heart clenched seeing the dark shades under his eyes. However, being his guardian, she had to set him straight so she swallowed up her pity and glared. "You stupid moron! Don't ignore me!"

"But – but!"

"There are no _buts, _Naruto." Kyuubi crossed her arms across her chest. "The fact remains that you're undeniably being so stupid!"

"Shut up!" Naruto weakly attempted, his voice wavering. "What do you want from me anyway, you stupid fox?"

Kyuubi sighed. "Avoiding Sasuke won't get you anywhere."

"'M not avoiding him…" He mumbled before sitting down the ground and looking anywhere but Kyuubi, his hands finding the grass and picking on it absently.

"Naruto, you know I love you as my son and all but this is really unbecoming of you. What is it exactly that you fear?" She sternly asked. "Sasuke holds you dear enough to be able to bear being here inside of Konoha even though he hates the village."

Naruto stared at the ground and silence ensued for a long time that Kyuubi thought she would get nothing out of the boy. She was about to disappear and retreat in the recess of his mind but Naruto suddenly whispered, "I love him, ya know."

Kyuubi's heart instantly melted.

"Saying that many times won't probably describe how much, and I can't exactly tell how it all began. But it's true. It's my truth…" He took a deep breath before continuing with a smile. "But there are also other truths conflicting to mine." Now here, Kyuubi frowned and got confused but she let him continue anyway.

"Ya know…" He continued after a pause, "I asked him a few nights ago if he considered me as his best friend and he couldn't answer. Of course, I was shocked to discover he hasn't been treating me as such. I thought about it for so long in the past few days and finally thought, _what the heck? _Of course I'm his best friend! He probably just couldn't accept it! Otherwise, the memory I have for the past few months wouldn't make sense, right?"

Hollowed laugh softly echoed across the deserted forest that resonated through Kyuubi's heart. "It made me feel conflicted though," Naruto admitted. "I'm happy that I'm his best friend even if he denies it all he wants. After all, I'm beside him now, aren't I? At the same time though, I feel kind of… in pain. Knowing that I'll remain forever his best friend."

"Don't say that!" Kyuubi suddenly blurted out, gliding in front of Naruto to look at the dejected boy properly. She wouldn't let this guy assume something so far from reality. "I thought you knew Sasuke better than anyone?! People might talk about you and they can blame you all they want for stealing their precious _Sasuke-kun, _but they can't change reality. If you knew him better than anyone, you would know that he doesn't let just anyone to enter his life! If you knew him, like you said you do, you would know how he looks at you, how he touches you, how he calls your name." Naruto shuts his eyes and shook his head, his hands blocking his ears, attempting to block what she was suddenly saying.

Kyuubi wouldn't take it though, so she grabbed both his hands and tried to yank it away, even if Naruto struggled. "Naruto!" She called out. "Don't escape from reality!" Naruto thrashed. "You _know _why he couldn't answer you that night! After all, you know him better than anyone, right? So you should know –"

"Stop!"

"No! You should open your eyes and look at reality!"

"Kyuubi, please, don't!"

Kyuubi clenched her jaws and yanked his hands harshly before harshly whispering, "You can still feel it right? You can still feel his touches, his embrace. You can still hear how he calls your name, how he looks at you and says you're stupid."

Naruto shook his head violently but Kyuubi continued. It was time to put a stop to his nonsense.

"You should _know_ how he feels for you! You're not stupid like what you lead everyone to believe. You've got keen senses and sharp eyes so you should have seen everything! Stop hiding behind your insecurities and look at him properly! You say you want to pretend that there is something more in his touches when you know there isn't? Oh, please! Who are you kidding?!"

"But that's the truth…"

"Shut up! Where do you think I live?" Kyuubi roared. "I live inside your head. Inside your very soul. I know what you think – and I know what you _really _see! You're **_not_**pretending that he feels something for you, Naruto. You're pretending that he **_doesn't_** feel **_anything_**for you! You're pretending that his touches never meant anything and his embraces were whimsical. You're pretending that you don't see his intentions and feelings! Everything is presented in front of you and you have the privilege of seeing everything especially since you're becoming the new Kyuubi, so why don't you acknowledge what he's offering you?!"

"But that's precisely why I _can't!" _Naruto yelled.

Kyuubi instantly stilled the moment words left his mouth, finally understanding everything with just one simple sentence. Deafening silence suffocated her and not for the first time, she wished she could go back in time.

"I _know _that_…" _Naruto quietly continued. "But I didn't want it to be true. I was pretending not to notice anything because I know precisely that I _can't be with him_. I won't be able to be with him Kyuu… He feels for me, I know that. I'm not that dense… and those girls wouldn't harass me if they didn't know it too. But I can't. I just can't…"

Something that closely resembled an avalanche happened in Kyuubi's chest and she suddenly couldn't breathe. She knew where this was going…

"I'm _disappearing,_ Kyuubi…"

Kyuubi remained speechless.

"I know I told Sasuke that I'm not dying, but I technically am. My time is ending, and I can't take him with me. That's why I can't let him know how I feel, and I can't let him love me…"

Naruto looked at his guardian with unshed tears and lopsided smile. "Do you get it, Kyuu? This body of mine is slowly disappearing. The transformation is almost finished and soon, Sasuke will have to forget me… So please, I beg of you. Let me live in my own stupid pretentions. After all, in the end, I still won't be able to stay with him. There still won't be a chance for us. And, well, I will technically remain as his best friend forever."

"But…"

"Just let things be, Kyuu… 'cause I won't be able to take it if he says he loves me right before my existence completely vanishes. It'll be too painful to bear, you know?"

"Sorry…" Kyuubi sucked a breath with difficulty and whispered. "I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have -"

Naruto embraced his guardian who was shaking in her human form, not meaning to tell her what really was on his mind because he knew she'll blame herself. "Stop. Don't say that."

"It's my fault…" A single tear shed from those golden eyes. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault…"

"It's not."

_But it is… _Kyuubi thought in remorse, sincerely regretting everything that was happening. _He can't attain his happiness all because of me…_

"I hate you, you know?" A soft voice suddenly echoed.

Sasuke snorted and continued to gaze at the starry night, not giving a single glance on the newcomer who had just declared his hate for him. His replacement – what was his name? Sai? – could hate him all he wants but Sasuke could honestly say he could give a fuck about it. Not right now, or maybe not ever. After all, he was never the type of guy to care what others think.

Sai, on the other hand, went and sat not far off from Sasuke at the very same veranda. He knew that he shouldn't have come here, but also knew that he _must _do this or they would all not be able to move on. "I never got the chance to properly learn what emotions are. Though, thanks to Team 7, I started to learn." He looked at the other guy who was still staring at the sky. "You, on the other hand, had the privilege of knowing emotions. But you choose to hide and ignore it. It pisses me off."

"Heh. Hide and ignore?" Sasuke laughed. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Sai was startled to hear the other guy respond to him. In the first place, he didn't expect Sasuke to answer him nor acknowledge his presence. He chose to remain silent, not really knowing what to say.

"With Naruto around," Sasuke continued, "there's no hiding or ignoring it. Everything is messed up, wriggling and thrashing until everything is exposed."

Sai sincerely miled at that. He knew that the Uchiha was a bastard, still is. But he can also never deny how human he can be when Naruto was around. Like now, Naruto's name was like a spark, initializing a flame inside the usually dull boy with nothing in mind but his revenge. Seeing him like this, as if he's a normal person, sent Sai into a decision. So he steeled his nerves and made up his mind, determined to set everything right.

"Sakura said something to Naruto." Just that one line created a heavy atmosphere that Sai thought he ought to turn and run. The chill of the night transformed instantly to a malicious air, suffocating and restricting him. He had never seen anyone change so much in just a span of seconds. Really, Naruto's name worked like a miracle in the Uchiha's life.

"What," Sasuke started and Sai pressed down the urge to grab a kunai, "did she say?"

"She didn't mean it, Sasuke." He forced out. "She was jealous, that's it. But she regrets it –" Sai wondered what happened when he suddenly saw the house's ceiling.

"_What did she say?" _Sasuke grounded out, red eyes spinning wildly.

It took a moment before Sai understood his position, finally realizing that Sasuke had just pushed him down with a killing intent. He struggled to break free, but Sasuke's grip was too strong that he almost couldn't breathe. He knew that he had to say something though, or he will really get killed. Well, not really get killed because he knew that Naruto will hate Sasuke forever, and he knew Sasuke wouldn't allow that. However, he knew that he'll get beaten into a pulp if he doesn't say anything.

"She said," He struggled to say and it came out as a whisper, "that you and him can never be together. That he betrayed her by falling in love with you when he promised that he would take you back for her."

Sasuke suddenly froze, and a second later, the killing intent doubled that Sai feared someone from the outside would notice. It wasn't the time to think like that though, and thinking had cost him much when Sasuke suddenly threw him across the room, alerting the other occupants of the house – namely Shikamaru and Kiba, the rest of the group either outside or was too far to hear the ruckus. They came running from the other end of the mansion when they heard the loud bang, but they immediately stopped when they saw the situation, not really knowing what Sasuke might do. "What… what the fuck?!" Kiba asked in shock.

The whole living room was dark, in a different way, with Sasuke's aura almost distorting the air.

"Leave." It was Sai's turn to freeze when the command was given out rather coldly. When he didn't move though, red spinning orbs turned to him in so much hatred that he had to force himself to stand up unless he wanted to fight a losing battle.

He dusted off his shirt and winced a little when he stretched, feeling rather concerned that he might have broken ribs. "Sakura didn't mean it, Sasuke." He whispered again before turning to leave the man he knew deserved to feel so much hatred. Before he could leave though, Sasuke coldly declared, "Don't let that girl come out of her hiding from behind the trees and see me, Sai. Or I'm afraid I'd kill her."

A chill ran through Sakura when she heard Sasuke say those words, and she pressed herself a little bit more to the tree she used for hiding. She didn't want this to happen – not at all. She didn't want Sasuke to hate her, or Naruto to be hurt, but she just couldn't take it. After realizing her mistake though, she had requested Sai to come here and inform Sasuke of what happened. Cowardly on her part, yes, but she wouldn't be able to make it in front of Sasuke.

A hand squeezed her shoulders and she didn't need to look up, knowing that it was Sai – as always – guiding her out of the Uchiha compound. She just silently sobbed and let Sai take him away from there.

Shikamaru on the other hand, had a good hunch of what just happened especially when he saw the retreating back of the emotionally incapable Sai ushering a pink haired girl they all know. And Kiba probably had too. They knew they wouldn't be able to say anything that would calm Sasuke down, so with reluctance, both turned to each other and silently left the living room – leaving Sasuke in his own thoughts. A few minutes later, they knew they should have stayed when they felt a prickling Chakra followed by an explosion in the living room.

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><p>Gosh, the drama! xD<p>

Anyway, I probably should tell you that there's a high possibility that the updates would be late. As I said, I have other projects now that were personally requested. xD

Woot!


	25. Chapter 24

I wasn't supposed to update this fast! I have another ongoing project, damnit! But, well, the scenes for this one kept on occupying my mind, begging to be written. And you guys know how hard it is to ignore a Drama once it started...!

This is the LONGEST chapter I've done so far. I wanted to put it into 2 sections: Part 1 and Part 2, but I know how it feels to read a Drama that is cut in the middle! I know _I _get cranky and my momentum is cut. So here goes.

Oh, by the way, thank you for the reviews. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 24:<strong>

Oryu rubbed his temples, too exhausted, too pissed to even say anything. He looked around, seeing the three members of Sasuke's group, his own teammates, along with the two Konoha Ninjas present Shikamaru and Kiba. None of them were moving, too concerned and too engrossed to the tension of their current situation.

A single torch illuminated the First Floor Underground where they were in. They were all hovering above the entrance of the Second Floor Basement that Kei had previously discovered. Different seals decorated two closed, heavy doors, each for different purpose. He had asked Yukari to help him create them .

His eyes scanned the people with him once more.

Suigetsu and Juugo were sitting across the floor a few meters away. The large sword was conveniently tucked between Sugietsu's arms, ready for battle if necessary. Juugo appeared to be sleeping, though his fingers were playing with the hem of his shirt – a telltale of nervousness. Karin was crouched opposite them, biting her fingernails.

Kiba was crouched with dog beside him and Shikamaru was standing, arms in his pocket and eyes closed, most probably trying to sleep.

The one nearest to him was Keisuke and Sho, the two of them sitting side by side without any words. Yukari was standing opposite him, her ruby eyes staring intently at a new plush that she got in the market. Feng was the bravest - or the most foolish one among them – seeing as she was sitting right on the embossed entrance.

Silver eyes caught sight of the numerous seals and he couldn't help but rub his temples again. There were eight seals on the doors; four for securing the doors remained closed while the other four was for concealing the chakra within.

_Four each, _Oryu thought. _All strong. _

Oryu couldn't believe it. For his and Yukari's powers combined, if they wanted to seal a human, two talismans were enough. One for the security and the other for concealing. But right now, they had created Eight. _Eight!_

_And I can still feel his chakra leaking out. What kind of human is this?!_

His day had started quite fine actually. Each went to their own business and he took that time for himself to wander around Konoha. He would have wanted to come home early, but his business – namely one Kakashi bugging him – dragged on for far too long. When he came home though, nothing could have prepared him to see the whole Uchiha compound and its vicinity enveloped with pure malice. And how big was the Uchiha compound?!

Shikamaru and Kiba were all roughed up and panting, trying to subdue Sasuke Uchiha who was trying to step out of their hiding.

Oryu had immediately sent signal to his fellow familiars, asking Shiro – their white fox – to go and fetch everyone wherever they were. His calls were immediately heed when not a moment later, Sho, Keisuke and Yukari came, along with Feng who was on the process of properly correcting her own Kimono.

Action ensued thereon to lock one raging Sasuke up. When Sasuke's team arrived, everything went confusing as they thought their leader was being ganged upon. He had to step out and explain in details about what was happening with Karin glaring at him all throughout.

After who knows how long, they had finally, _finally, _locked Sasuke to the Second Floor Basement. The very basement that they were currently guarding right after Yukari tended to each of their wounds.

"How long before Naru gets back?" Keisuke silently asked to no one in particular, though Oryu knew that he was the one who could only answer.

"Not long. Shiro probably got stuck into locating him, you know how good he is at hiding."

Sho growled. "This is why I told you: being with him," he jerked his thumb at the basement doors, "is not a wise thing to do! I knew he would screw up somewhere and endanger us all – especially Naruto!"

"For a guy you sure talk like a pussy." Karin immediately retaliated with a scowl of her own, having her pride poked.

"What did you say?" Sho hissed and turned his glare at her.

"And deaf too," she added. Sho was on the verge of throttling her when her head snapped up. "He's here," she announced having felt Naruto's chakra much better than the others due to her ability.

Everyone stood up from where they were sitting just as Naruto came barging in with eyes wide and searching.

Oryu held up his hand to silence the boy who, no doubt, was about to bombard them with questions. "Stop. Catch your breath and don't you dare flare your chakra too. We're having enough trouble with just him." Naruto's brows raised in almost disbelief. "I think it's better to hear the explanation from the guys who were here." Oryu cast a sideway glance to Shikamaru, who was the only one who did not move upon Naruto's arrival.

Kiba saw the glance and elbowed the lazy ninja beside him, not really that energized to complain about the leadership issue.

One lazy eye opened and Shikamaru sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "Long story short," he started, "Sai babbled to Sasuke about what Sakura said. No, don't worry he didn't kill the guy, though he warned to kill Sakura. Anyway, Sasuke wanted to leave – probably to find you. We prevented him, which leads us here."

Naruto silently gasped, confusion written clearly in his face before asking, "What?"

The wooden entrance on the floor immediately rattled; the chakra inside leaked in almost double the amount compared to earlier. The pressure was so great that Akamaru hid behind Kiba and their torch almost went useless against the darkness that their prisoner was providing. Everyone went on guard, hands itching to grasp their very own weapons.

"Fuck," Kiba swore. "So he can hear us from the inside, huh."

"Oryu," Yukari quietly called out. "We have to strengthen the seals. It won't hold as it is."

"No, wait." Every eyes looked at Feng. They watched as she elegantly stood and walked towards Naruto with gleaming eyes. "You, go inside."

"What?!" Sho immediately took into a defending position. "No, no way. Are you fucking insane?!"

Feng rolled her eyes but paid no heed to the guy, her eyes steadily looking at her leader. "We know that you two have something going on. Someone would be blind to not notice your tension these past few days." Naruto gulped. "Obviously, whatever got his panties twisting in a knot has something to do with what happened. So you, you should take responsibility and go inside."

Naruto nervously laughed and scratched his cheeks, his eyes darting to the ground to avoid their stares. "Haha, what are you talking about?"

"No use denying it, Naruto," Kiba chimed in. "Everyone noticed it. Even I did the very moment I saw you."

"Stop," Sho growled out. "I won't let our leader take a risky path. Whatever Uchiha's problem is, he has to deal with it himself! Oryu, we should just leave these guys."

Oryu sighed. "Sho, do you really think that Naruto will leave?"

"The Lady is right though," Shikamaru said, for once turning serious eyes on Naruto. "You're the only one who can stop this, whatever the hell this is. You were a part of the problem in the first place, and you can't deny a confrontation forever."

"Well," Feng crossed her arms across her chest, "it's either you finish your problems and have this settled – whatever the outcome may be; or you can let his anger drag on for too long and have the rest of Konoha find out that he's here."

Naruto scowled. By the way they were talking, it seemed that he doesn't have that much option. It's either let Sasuke be found – and for sure get killed by the Konoha ninjas, or he will just have to suck up his fear and face his very own problems head on. But he didn't know what Sasuke's problem is, so how can he know how to settle things? He doesn't have anything prepared, hell, he doesn't even know what to do or say once he steps foot inside.

**_"You'll know once you go inside." _**Kyuubi urged him.

He looked at the rattling doors and sighed. "Well, I'm not so sure…"

"Damn, Naruto," Kiba whistled with a dry laugh. "What happened the past year that turned you into a wuss?"

Naruto glared.

"Look," Shikamaru sighed. "We don't know what his problems are, and we don't know what will happen once you meet him. But you're the only one who, no doubt, he would talk to."

Naruto remained silent.

"Yukari," Oryu called out, frustrated enough at what was happening. If their leader won't decide, then he will, as the second in command. "Strengthen the seals. Keisuke, Sho, pack our things."

"Wait!" Karin bellowed. "You're leaving Sasuke-kun?!"

"We can't blame them though." Juugo quietly mumbled and Suigetsu nodded in agreement.

Naruto's heart thudded and his breathing labored. Oryu wasn't kidding, that much he knew. And no matter how strong he is, he also knew that Oryu will find a way to force him into leaving with them. Leave… they're going to leave Sasuke? A hand unconsciously clutched at his aching chest. But he's got so little time left. If they leave right now, he might not be able to be with Sasuke again. Cold sweat broke through his body and Naruto didn't know what to do anymore.

_Fuck this._

"I'll go inside."

Every movement and arguments halted.

"I…" He continued as if persuading himself. "I'll go inside. Yukari, Oryu, you can strengthen the seals once I'm in. Make sure no chakra leaks outside, I'm going to remove my limiter." As he said this, a gush of wind blew from his feet, his natural chakra limiters uplifting with the echo of rumbling chains. "You should also probably strengthen the barrier enveloping the whole compound."

"Wait, are you serious?!" Sho almost yelled but no one paid any attention to him.

"Let us know once you're ready and we'll lift the seals," Yukari instructed. "You can then enter. But do it fast."

Naruto nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

…

Everything was dark. No windows, no torches, nothing. The air was cold and damp, and there were little prickles touching Naruto's skin. Powerful as he was, he could still feel the heavy pressure of being in the same room as the raging Sasuke. He could feel it trying to squeeze his head off, trying to burden him into collapsing to the ground. There was also something in it that was trying to suffocate him. No doubt, if any other ninjas came here, they'd be knocked out in a matter of minutes.

He could hear a swish of twirling knife, probably from Sasuke's end. Now that he's here though, how again was he going to start their conversation? Sure he knew that the both of them were never really that great when it came to talking. If they wanted something across, especially in times of situations such as this, they would use their fist and have an all-out brawl. Well, that was when they were Genins. Sure, he had removed his chakra limiter that he had set before in thoughts that there really might be a fight between them. Thinking about it though, now that they're older, things are different. Now, if they resort to the all-out brawl, the village of Konoha would probably fall into rubbles.

To face the current situation though, how was he going to know what Sasuke's problem is? He had an idea, of course, based on what Shikamaru had informed him earlier. But surely, for Sasuke to be in this condition, there might be something more.

_Or maybe he's just being the drama queen that he is._

One thing for sure, is that he'd know nothing if he stayed standing there looking at the darkness of the room.

"Sasuke…" He tentatively and silently called out, and he felt the chakra waver a bit. "Why are you doing this?"

A hollow laugh echoed across the room that sent Naruto into shivers. It made him remember how cold Sasuke was when they first met at Orochimaru's lair so many years before. "Naruto," He greeted back. "And here I thought you'd be avoiding me forever."

Naruto looked down on the floor. "I'm not really avoiding you or anything…"

The chakra shifted and wavered, like a jelly left to stand on its own.

_It's probably a good thing, _Naruto thought. _It means I'm reaching him._

"I wanted to talk to you," Sasuke silently admitted. It was so honest that Naruto found himself pressing back against the wall.

"Heh, there's nothing really to talk about though – Ugh!" Naruto groaned, suddenly feeling Sasuke's weight against him, pushing him farther the wall that he was trying to merge with earlier.

"The fuck there isn't!" Hot breath caressed Naruto's face and he silently thanked the darkness for not being able to see Sasuke's face. "I heard from Sai." Naruto tensed. "He told me what Sakura told you. Now, tell me, what the fuck happened?! Why did you suddenly start avoiding me?"

Naruto struggled to get free, finally getting frustrated at not knowing anything – not even on what to answer. "Please, Sasuke. You're being over dramatic. You didn't have to be this angry over what Sakura said."

"And what about you?" Sasuke growled out. "You didn't have to avoid me over what that girl said to you now, did you?"

"As I said, I was not avoiding you! Come on, man, did you really think that we ought to be stuck together all the time? Two adult guys?"

The hold on Naruto's shirt slackened almost instantly, the chakra occupying the room following almost just as fast and Naruto almost regretted what he said. However, he had a goal in mind. He had to make Sasuke stop whatever this is he's doing, and maybe open his eyes to reality to avoid any situations like this in the future.

"What?" Sasuke whispered, shocked.

Naruto shut his eyes tight and willed his voice not to tremble, willed his body not to shake. "I know that we've been touchy-feely the past weeks, but, I mean, of course, we're best friends. Best friends do it all the time, Sakura and Ino does it all the time."

_I'm so sorry for lying… _

"And I wasn't avoiding you either. Sasuke, I was running everywhere, catching up with my friends. I'm sorry if you felt like that, but that wasn't really it."

_Please forgive me for the lies…_

"It might have looked like there was something going on with Sakura, but I assure you it was nothing but coincidence. I mean, you're my best friend!"

"Naruto," Sasuke interrupted, "do you hear what you're saying?"

Naruto shut his mouth closed when Sasuke's chakra flared again, his grips tightening its hold, almost choking him. But Naruto be damned if he couldn't feel the trembling of the hands that was holding him. And it breaks him to know that it was he who's doing this to Sasuke. "Of course I do," he whispered.

"Sai went to me," Sasuke started as he increased his chakra, flicking out his free hand, lightening up a fire in the Fire Chamber Naruto didn't know was there. Everything lightened up in an instant and Naruto saw how Sasuke scowled, how his eyes burned with such intensity that he was so sure he'd spill out everything all at once. "He told me what Sakura had told you. That she was angry, saying something that you had betrayed her by falling in love with me. Now tell me, was what Sai told me a lie?"

Naruto gulped down the sob that was threatening to spill out from his mouth, schooling his face to not give out anything. "Sasuke, it's true that was what she told me. But she was having a bad day. That was the time that you had rejected her to be your wife so I'm sure she was confused as hell."

"Then tell me," Sasuke almost pleaded. "Was the time we spent the past few months nothing but a lie?"

Naruto nervously laughed. "You're confusing me."

"Tell me honestly, Naruto. Look at me in the eyes and answer me." Cold, trembling hands reached out to Naruto's face, forcing him to look at Sasuke. "Did you think that I'm the type of person who lets other people get close to me for no reason at all?"

Naruto shook his head, trying in his might to struggle free from Sasuke's grasps. He could hear his heart thumping in his ears. No, he shouldn't let their conversation drag on. He should end everything here and now, he shouldn't venture on any longer or he has the feeling he knew where this was heading to. And he couldn't have that. He couldn't let Sasuke sink in the same ocean as him, he can't. "Sasuke, stop."

Sasuke never let go of Naruto though, he forced him to look into his eyes. "Tell me, did you think that I was the type of person who would embrace you just because?"

"Stop, Sasuke, please."

"Did you think… did you honestly think that I would have let you into the most private part of my life if you were nothing but a best friend?"

Naruto grasped Sasuke's hands holding him tightly and tried to break free, but it seems his power was leaving his body. If he was right, his tenant in his mind might have something to do with it. "Sasuke, let me go."

"No!" Sasuke suddenly screamed, his chakra flaring once again. "Look at me in the eyes, Naruto. Did you think I'm that sort of a fickle person?"

Naruto gasped when he was directly faced with Sasuke's never wavering gaze and he shut his eyes, letting out a shaking breath. "N-no…"

"Then you should know," Sasuke whispered.

"Stop, please!" But Sasuke tightened his grasp more.

"You should know, Naruto, that I fucking love you!"

Naruto recoiled in himself and he focused on breathing, his lungs not cooperating with him, and a lone line of tear fell across his cheeks.

"You knew, right?" Sasuke touched their foreheads together and closed his eyes. "You fucking knew that I fucking love you without meaning to. But you let me in your world, right? You let me embrace you, hold your hands, kiss your head, you let me do those things even after knowing that."

Naruto remained unmoving, eyes closed and trembling.

"Now tell me again," Sasuke opened his eyes and Naruto felt all the chakra disappear from the air. "Open your fucking eyes and tell me that what Sakura said was a lie."

Naruto sucked in a wavering breath.

"Open your fucking eyes and dare tell me that she was lying. Come on, tell me that you don't fucking love me too even after all of what has happened."

How could he? How could Naruto say that when Sasuke had phrased it that way? How can Naruto say that he doesn't love him back when he had let those touches, those embraces nudge the very depth of his soul? "Sasuke," He sobbed out, not really registering the tears freely falling down from his eyes. "Stop, please…"

"I love you."

"Don't…"

"I want to be with you."

Kyuubi looked out the window of Naruto's emotion and watched as the storm flooded where she was confined, thunder and lightning decorating the dark skies. She was at her limit into pressing down Naruto's chakra and she was afraid that it would lash out soon due to instability.

True to her hunches, Naruto's chakra started to build up and leak out, alerting Yukari and Oryu who was maintaining the seals from the outside.

"Sasuke, you can't… You can't feel that way…"

"You're a few years too late."

Naruto choked and sobbed, shaking his head violently and pushed Sasuke as hard as he could, sending the guy crashing back. Red chakra enveloped Naruto's body without his consent, his mind reeling a hundred thoughts all at once. "No, no, _no…! _You can't, Sasuke!"

Sasuke groaned, pushing himself off the wall he crashed against and dashed forward, putting all of what he learned in his training with Naruto on how to penetrate all of his fucking defenses. "Don't you fucking _dare _run away from the truth, Naruto!"

"No!" Red Orbs with cat-like slits glared at Sasuke and he froze, just in time when Naruto collided back to him, pressing him against the wall. "Don't you get it?! You can't feel that way!"

Just as Naruto said those words, Sasuke suddenly felt like being squeezed and flushed all at the same time. He closed his eyes as a wave of nausea attacked him just as when he felt something like Chidori crawling across his very own skin. He groaned and coughed, letting himself breathe and just fucking stay conscious! There was a pull from all directions, threatening to rip him to pieces like a frail little paper and he clutched to anything tighter.

Not a second later, all assault was gone with only the memory of the pain serving as a trace.

He wondered what happened and when he opened his eyes, several questions raised inside his head all at once.

"The fuck?" He groaned.

_Am I in a Genjutsu?_

He looked around and found dry trees surrounding him, leaves of different hues of brown and red covering the ground. The sky was so low, so red, so dark with lightning connecting the heavens and the earth.

"Do you get it now, Sasuke?" Naruto's growl echoed from everywhere, but he couldn't find the blonde. "You can't be with me!"

Sasuke glared.

"Did you ever wonder what would happen once the transformation is complete?" A whisper from behind him and Sasuke whirled, finding no Naruto behind him.

"Did you ever wonder what would happen once I become the new Kyuubi?" Naruto suddenly came crashing in front of him, crimson eyes glowing against the dark, tears flowing freely from his eyes, waiting for an answer.

Sasuke's world came halting in an instant and his mind blacked for a second before asking, "What?"

Naruto disappeared in a wisp of smoke and hollowed laughter eerily echoed across the desolate forest. "Kyuubi is not what people believe it to be, Sasuke. Things are much, much more than meet the eye." A flash behind the trees got Sasuke turning around, finding no one there.

"Kyuubi is not just chakra, Sasuke," Naruto whispered. "It is _power."_

A movement behind and Sasuke turned.

"Its history goes far, _far beyond. _To the very beginning of the worlds. There it was, _power in itself, _watching, always watching the world that was created beside it, but it could never touch them. Because they will _break… _So powerful it was that guards to serve and protect it were created. _Five different guards…"_

Sasuke's mind reeled a thousand miles per word, a shiver running across his skin as thunders and lightning boomed across the heavens. _Five? _He counted how many familiars Naruto had and a chill ran in his back.

"But a few hundred years ago, a chance presented itself when the Bijuus were made," Naruto laughed. "It cloaked itself in illusions and hid in itself, deceiving its Guardians before diving down the earth."

"What are you saying…?" Sasuke unconsciously whispered.

Another echoing laugh. "It's not just a Bijuu, Sasuke. Kyuubi doesn't belong in this world… It's an eternal being…"

Sasuke feared that his perfect mask that he was trying to maintain for a while now was about to break.

"Now I'll ask you again, Sasuke," Naruto whispered from behind. "What do you think will happen once the transformation is complete?"

Sasuke didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think whatever Naruto was insinuating from his tale. Because no matter what kind of thinking he does, based on all of the things that Naruto was saying no matter if it really was true or not, though he had a sinking feeling that he was saying the truth – no matter what, he could only think of a few things and all were not something he was too keen on thinking.

Every thought halted at once when Naruto walked in front of him, blue eyes shining with unshed tears and a small smile playing in his lips; and Sasuke's heart clenched against his chest. He unconsciously shook his head and made a step back, but Naruto was once again in front of his face in an instant. His trembling hands reached and cupped pale face and Sasuke's breath hitched. "My body will vanish…"

"No…"

"My body will dissolve into nothingness," Naruto continued, not minding the onslaught of flowing tears, "and I will forever remain an eternal being."

"Naruto…"

Naruto shook his head. "I won't be able to be with you, Sasuke…"

Sasuke steeled his mind and grabbed Naruto's hand, whirling them both until Naruto was against a tree. "Stop, just… stop."

Few more tears fell from shining blue eyes. "Do you get it now? You can't feel that way for me… You'll only get hurt."

Sasuke enveloped his hands around Naruto and hid his face into the crook of his dobe's neck, inhaling the familiar scent he had come to love. "You don't know that Naruto. We can find a way to be together. You can always come to me, right? With a faux body!"

Naruto looked apprehensively at Sasuke before silently asking, "You would do that to me?"

Sasuke frowned in confusion.

"I will see you once in a while with a faux body, touch you, kiss you…" Trembling hands traced Sasuke's lips. "And then, after a while, I will have to leave again… Then I would be watching you from the sidelines, watch you struggle alone, watch you be consumed by loneliness. And then I could come again when you're twenty. Do it all over again until you're thirty and craving for a companion – companionship that I could only offer temporarily for a day or so before I'll have to leave you again. And I know, we both know that it wouldn't be enough…

Not long I will just have to watch you look for someone who can be with you, someone to build your own family with, to raise your kids… Then I wouldn't come anymore because I knew you would have already found your happiness. And meanwhile I will be hurting while I watch you. Curse the fact that I couldn't be with you. Dream of what could've been and cry some more. Really? Sasuke, you would do that to me…?" Naruto couldn't stop a bitter smile from showing.

Sasuke, on his part, suddenly realized what he was saying and shook his head, banishing the idea. "Kyuubi has the power, the knowledge. We'll ask Oryu on how we can do it together."

"You don't get it, Sasuke. The transformation will stop at nothing!"

"Then I'll be the one to chase you!"

Naruto frowned.

"You've been chasing me all these years, let me be the one to chase you now."

Naruto shook his head, not liking what Sasuke was implying. "No, _no_. Sasuke, you aren't possibly thinking of spending eternity with me, are you?"

Sasuke gave his all familiar trade mark of a smirk. "And what if I am?"

"Are you insane?!" Naruto tried to push Sasuke away, but the guy wouldn't let that happen now. They had been fighting for a while now and he won't be apart from Naruto again. He just wanted to be with him right now. "You can't do that! What about your dreams?!"

"What dreams?"

Naruto immediately settled down and looked up into dark eyes, trying to convey all of his thoughts into one simple sentence. "I can't give you happiness, Sasuke."

"You've been giving me that though."

"But eternity!" Naruto exclaimed. "You probably feel that way now, but when the time passes, you'll soon realize that you would want a family of your own. I can't give you that, Sasuke! I'm a guy!"

Sasuke frowned and gently bumped his head against Naruto's.

_So that was what he's been thinking._

"Naruto," He sighed, his patience wearing thin by the minute. "You should know by now that I'm not planning on creating a family. I rejected Sakura, what makes you think I'd welcome any other woman that I don't know of?"

"You're just saying that now… But when you get old, you'll realize you want it anyway. And you'll be leaving me."

Sasuke took deep even breaths to calm himself down.

_No way into it, huh…_

He took a step back and released Naruto from his hold, stunning the blonde and leaving him in his own thoughts. Sasuke steeled his face and fixed his blank stare, the very face the he was used to wearing while facing the world. Something that he hadn't shown to Naruto.

Naruto, on the other hand, went speechless when Sasuke shot him an indifferent look, all defenses up without a door. His mind thudded and broke a bit more, not used into being the receiving end of such coldness.

"You should just fucking tell me if you don't want to be with me," Sasuke monotonously said. "You should tell me clearly, so I won't bother you again."

Naruto shook his head, another batch of tears pouring down, his breathing coming in shallow gasps. _It's not like that…_

Silence ensued for a few moments, with Naruto heaving and staring, shaking like a fucking leaf; and Sasuke just waiting.

When Naruto didn't answer, Sasuke gave a sigh and a bitter smile. "So it's like that, huh… I see…" He turned around and started walking away. "Let me go back. I'll gather my team and leave. I can assure you I won't be bothering you again." And then he walked away.

Naruto stood at that exact same place, trembling, sobbing, watching as Sasuke retreated. He couldn't believe that the last image of Sasuke that he will see was something like this – his retreating back. He watched as he walked away, shoulders stiff and square, as cold as ever. Did he ever look so far away like this before? Did he ever look so… so alone before? He watched, his eyes engraining every detail in his memory.

_Will this really be the last moment I'll ever see you?_

Eternity. That's a never ending time. A long, long time without Sasuke by his side. Time that he's sure he will live alone, because he's fucking sure that he'd never love like how he loves Sasuke right now.

He choked and sobbed.

Can he really do it? Can he really live like that?

"Sasuke…" He brokenly whispered. He tried to call out again, but it only came out as another rasp whisper. "I… I want to be with you…"

He hoped that Sasuke heard, and at the same time, he hoped that Sasuke didn't. Because after all of these dramas, the truth is, he still won't be able to give Sasuke the happiness that he deserves. But yes, _fuck yes, _he wants to be with Sasuke. Can he afford to be selfish though?

But Sasuke didn't stop walking, and Naruto just sobbed more. He brought both his hands to cover his mouth, suppressing whatever pathetic sound that might escape. His knees trembled and he slid down the ground like a fucking ragdoll, hot tears blurring his sight, so he shut his eyes. He swallowed the hiccups forming, he suppressed the trembling.

_It can't be helped, _he told himself over and over. _It can't be helped… This is just the way things should be… It can't be helped. _

But it wasn't enough to appease his broken heart. So he quietly cried some more, weeping in his own foolish thinking about things that could have been and things that were never meant.

"For fuck's sake," Naruto snapped his eyes wide open and he tensed when warm arms enveloped him once more. "You should just fucking tell me honestly." The voice he had come to love whispered in his ears.

Naruto didn't know what he was feeling that very moment. He felt like a volcano wanting to erupt, getting full of so many emotions at once: fear, relief, more importantly joy. He wanted to laugh at his very own silliness, he wanted to thwack Sasuke a good one in the head for scaring him. He wanted to say it's not too late yet, and Sasuke can still walk out, that he won't force him into staying. He wanted to melt into those arms and then maybe die to escape all of the pain.

But his mind was too foggy to do even one thing much less all of it, his heart too unstable to be posing the tough guy that everyone viewed him as. So he just cried some more. A pathetic deed for a ninja, but who cares though?

Trembling hands reached to clutch Sasuke's Kinagashi and a sob escaped Naruto's throat.

"I thought I'll never see you again."

Sasuke pulled back and wiped hot tears using his thumbs, kissing puffy red eyes tenderly. But tears continued to fall like a waterworks.

"Sasuke," Naruto choked out, "I want to be with you…"

Sasuke kissed his dobe's forehead before bumping his own against it. "I know."

Dark eyes searched the depths of those blue eyes, waiting for any sort of protest but there was none, so he bent down a little bit more and tentatively touched his lips against Naruto's trembling one. Something exploded inside him when he felt the first touch of their lips and he was left wondering why he was still alive. He wanted to do more, feel more, but he pulled back after that chaste kiss and looked at his dobe.

Naruto on the other hand, felt another wave of raw emotions ravage his insides once Sasuke's lips touched his own. He felt like a drunk, he felt as if something was pulling him in so he didn't resist and let himself be pulled. For the second time, their lips met, a little more passionate than the last. They parted, and kissed again, and again…

"Sas…"

When a hot, wet tongue swiped his lips, Naruto dazedly stared before opening his mouth, pulling at Sasuke's neck to get a little bit closer. He didn't even know when he had moved his hands to cling to Sasuke's neck with his hands fisted on dark locks. They kissed again, and a tear rolled down Naruto's cheek, this time for being so overwhelmed.

Sasuke had settled Naruto on his lap unconsciously, and when they pulled apart, he dived in to his dobe's neck, licking and sucking until a bright red mark glared back at him. He did it again, and again, until a groan escaped from Naruto's lips.

He pulled back and watched how disheveled and dazed the blonde got for so little, and something in his heart erupted again upon the sight. Somewhere at the back of his mind though, he knew he looked just as bad. He could feel his control slipping by the moment, something that he would like to indulge himself in. But he treasures Naruto so much to let the beast in him roar so he settled on calling the blonde's name full of whatever emotions he couldn't convey. "Naruto…"

Naruto saw the conflict and he smiled, caressing Sasuke's cheeks in so much care that got them both gasping for breath. "Sasuke, don't leave me…"

Sasuke gave him a deep kiss before answering without hesitation, "Never." After all, he's the one person who was hell bent on revenge almost all his life, even up to now. He knew himself well and he knew that once he sets his eyes on something, he'd never stop at anything to be there, touch it, and claim it.

"Sasuke," Naruto called out again, his eyes watching in adoration. "Love me…"

They stared at each other for a long time, before letting gravity pull them together once again.

…

Naruto gasped when he felt hot mouth suck on his nipples and he grabbed on his shirt that he was lying against. His other hand covered his mouth, embarrassed that a sound had come out. He closed his eyes shut and let himself feel as Sasuke's inexperienced hands roamed about his nakedness. Sasuke touched his sides, his thighs, trying to feel everything he could, before he went up again to gently kiss him.

Hands roamed down his belly and Naruto felt something sink inside his gut before that very same hand roamed lower, and lower.

"Hah…" He gasped, his back arching, his legs automatically trying to cover that important part. He couldn't close them though, as Sasuke was straddling one of them. He almost thrashed when Sasuke's hand started rubbing, squeezing just a bit that sent him into a quivering goo.

Sasuke went down, leaving kisses along the trails before looking at his dobe's arousal. In truth, he really wasn't sure what to do. He had never done something like this nor was he ever interested. Still, he remembered seeing Orochimaru in the training area of a forest near their hideout before with two very young boys. It wasn't deliberate that he saw what they were doing. He was training for goodness' sake! And he was about to go back to his quarters when he stumbled upon that scene. It was a very quick peek before he stomped to another direction, but Sasuke, with his sharingan still activated from practice, saw what the Snake was doing with his tongue to one of the boys while the other boy rode him. From the look of the two young boys, they looked about ready to explode and Sasuke didn't know if they would die from pleasure overload.

He angrily shook his head to dismiss the memory while retaining the knowledge on what he should be doing.

He looked at the trembling pink organ oozing with pre-cum (at least he knew that much), and to his eyes, it looked adorable. His head slowly dived down and he temporarily let his tongue out and let it touch the tip. Naruto shivered very obviously and Sasuke knew he was doing it right. Without waiting for another moment, Sasuke helped himself and devoured the thing that got Naruto screaming.

"Sasu.. ke!" Naruto forgot to cover his mouth, forgot to restrain his voice, too engrossed in the sensation that Sasuke was making him feel. He heaved, his hands reaching to dark locks that was bobbing up and down, his body shaking in his attempt to not shove in Sasuke's mouth. "St-stop! That's… dirty!"

A chuckle escaped Sasuke's mouth and Naruto reeled at the vibration. He never felt something like this, never even done this even once. He only knew of sexual exploits through Jiraiya's adventures that he almost always accidentally stumbled upon. He could feel heat quickly building in his lower part and a little bit more will for sure make him burst. "Sasuke! St…op, I… I need to…"

Sasuke waited for the eruption he knew was coming and not a moment later, white seeds freely flowed out and filled his mouth.

Naruto felt so relieved after that, and he gasped for breath. Half-lidded eyes looked at his dark Teme just in time to see him reaching down between his legs with his soiled and wet hand. "Wha… what are you doing?"

Sasuke looked up to Naruto, not really sure if he was doing it right. But the boy in his memory from his encounter looked like he was enjoying it so Sasuke could only hope that Naruto would too. "I'm not experienced," he admitted with indifference although he was panicking inside, "and I'm not that knowledgeable, but I'm pretty sure this is where I'm going to love you."

Naruto twitched when he felt a sudden intrusion in his backside. He hurriedly grasped at Sasuke's naked arms to try to stop his hands from reaching further. "No, that's… you can't touch that."

"Why?"

Naruto glared. "Teme, that's dirty too."

Sasuke laughed and kissed Naruto's cheek before settling his weight on one of his arms so as not to burden Naruto. "Dobe… Do you want to stop?"

The blonde instantly lit up like a red bulb, shyly shaking his head. Although his embarrassment was all forgotten when the Sasuke's finger moved. It probed and searched, Naruto could clearly feel it and he wasn't sure if they were really doing it right. He winced when a second finger entered him.

Sasuke saw the discomfort so he changed his position making Naruto's back press against his chest, both of them lying on their side. He reached his free hand to the front and rubbed Naruto's member again, his mouth littering angry red marks across the dobe's shoulders – all to distract him from feeling the pain. He stretched Naruto's entrance to make enough space to accommodate something much bigger. There was something weird at the end of his fingertips though so he reached for it.

"Hah!" Naruto screamed, his body trembling so much that Sasuke thought he had done something wrong.

"Naruto? Did it hurt?" Sasuke got concerned when a few tears escaped from his dobe's eyes.

"Sasukee…" Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arms tighter to keep it from moving when he felt Sasuke about to move away. "It… It felt good…"

Dark brows rose at the admission and he tentatively reached for that bundle again. "Uh! Hah!" Naruto gasped some more, his mind losing in the pleasure, so Sasuke touched it again and again. But that wasn't what they wanted to do so Sasuke removed his hands, almost laughing at the obvious whine that Naruto let out.

He moved to place himself in between Naruto's legs and snaked one of his arm around Naruto's shoulders before kissing his dobe fully on the lips. His other arm aligned his member to Naruto's entrance and he slowly pushed. Naruto immediately pulled back, pain obvious in his eyes, a few tears leaking out. "Sas… it hurts."

"Ssh, I'm sorry, please bear with it for a moment." He reached out his hand to rub Naruto's member, making sure the boy was lost in pleasure before continuing to push in.

"Unn.."

Sasuke silently gasped, willing his own body not to fucking move lest he hurts his dobe. But, _oh, fuck, _it felt good. Naruto was squeezing him in all the right places that he just didn't know if he could take it much longer.

"Teme," Naruto whispered with a smile. "You can move…"

So he did, slowly, his hand never failing to rub too. And Naruto groaned and huffed and arched in time with him. Sasuke angled his hips, searching for that one place that made Naruto scream.

"Ah! Huh!" Scream Naruto did and Sasuke knew he found it. So he thrust, in and out, aiming exactly to that bundle of nerves that got his dobe screaming. "Sah… Sasuke!"

Naruto screamed his name brokenly, again, and again, in tune with his movements; and Sasuke thought he'd never heard his name sound so good before. They never really lasted that much longer before both of them released without constraints; Sasuke collapsing on top of Naruto's waiting arms.

They focused on breathing, as if newborns learning how to breathe again. And then Naruto laughed. Sasuke raised a brow, pulling his member out of his dobe, making both of them groan at the sensation. Naruto tiredly looked up before snatching a quick peck on Sasuke's unsuspecting lips. Sasuke laughed at that, stunning Naruto into a new degree before scooping his blonde idiot of a dobe closer to him and kissing Naruto's forehead.

"You never did answer where we are," Sasuke rasped out, his voice husky even though he wasn't as vocal as his lover was.

"Hmm," Naruto hid his face at the crook of Sasuke's neck, slightly shivering when cold hands started to play with his hair. "You remember the sealed room in the cabins? Well, this is where we went – another plane. You'll see the exact same house not far from here."

Sasuke pondered for a moment before giving his signature "Hn."

No words were said anymore. They didn't even know if there really was a way for them to be together even with the vast knowledge of Kyuubi and abnormal intelligence of Oryu. But now that they were here, finally together, they would stop at nothing just to keep it that way. Immortality be damned.

* * *

><p>Okay, this is Drama. And with your relationship on the verge of collapsing, anyone would be inclined to Drama. Especially if the other person you're on the verge of losing is as important as they should be.<p>

I'm also not too sure about the steamy part of this chapter. I tried to make it as simple as possible and as in accordance to my imagination. But here's my explanation...

I decided Sasuke doesn't have any sexual experience here. In my opinion, Sasuke is the type of person just as how he described himself to be: doesn't really like anything but has too many dislikes. And with a type like that, it's very easy to see how he devotes (more like obsess) into one thing that he finds he _does _like. And I think, with the way he was hell-bent in one goal of killing his brother, there was no other space in his head that would even spare a glance into anything else, much less sexual things. That is, before I decided to create this fanfic and made him stumble upon Naruto again. LOL.

As for Naruto, I could actually see him melting in Sasuke's arms. I can easily see him drown in a pool of pleasure and shivers. I mean, sure he's a prankster and created the sexy-jutsu, but he didn't even know why his sexy-jutsu was so effective. So yeah, I see him as the adorable uke (no offense to those opposed because there are also other times that I like it when Sasuke is the neko ^^). And of course he would appear to be innocent here. Naruto never had sex before! Of course he would be surprised at every little thing.

And since both of them doesn't have any s-exp, how could they have a steamy, hot, and long sex? It's just as they were saying, "practice makes perfect", right?

Hahaha! I don't know. Whatever.

By the by, the next update for sure won't be posted fast. It's the start of another drama. xD


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